Can an inside brake light reminder be installed?

[jhs914]

I am trying to break my daughter from riding the brake with her left foot. She left foot brakes and complains she gets horrible gas mileage. I've tried to explain it to her and she keeps doing it. She was rear ended recently and I'm convinced it was because she was riding the brake and her brake light was constantly on.

I want to rig a light inside the car to tell her when she is riding the brakes, either on the dash or near the rear window where she can see it in her rear view mirror. I want it bright so she can't ignore it.

Any suggestions on how to do this? She has a 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon and has the high mounted third brake light on the lift gate.

 

[OVERKILL]

Can't she train herself to drive properly and use the right foot?

 

[Oillover]

Buy her a manual transmission vehicle so she can find use for her left foot.
If she rides the clutch too much, it'll burn it out and she'll have a nice $$$ reminder to stay off the clutch when it's not needed.

 

[AutoMechanic]

In most states it’s illegal to brake with your left foot anyway so definitely need something to break her habit I am sure you could wire something up but she will need to pay attention to it for sure.

 

[PimTac]

Let her pay for the brake job that’s coming up.

 

[SZR48207]

Left foot should rest on the dead pedal 100% of the time in an automatic vehicle.. unless it's used to depress the e-brake but I bet that Mazda has a hand op e-brake anyway.

 

[dishdude]

This is usually the behavior of a nervous driver, they are afraid of the reaction time between moving their foot to the brake or not being able to find it, so they hover their left foot over it. It's dangerous because they can inadvertently apply the brakes causing an accident, in addition to the wear on the brake system of the car. I have come across drivers slamming their brakes on when they see any car approaching, even if they aren't anywhere near them.

 

[ripcord]

Look on the brake pedal lever and you should see a switch with a couple of wires attached to it that operate the brake lights. You could tie into that to light an LED

 

[eljefino]

She has a 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon and has the high mounted third brake light on the lift gate.

There's your answer, there should be a trim cover you can remove. You'll see the back of the reflector or LEDs and may be able to drill a strategic hole in the trim to let some light through via a seam or something in the reflector/ lens area. Or, worst case, add a LED. This will also be good training to use the rear view mirror.

See if she can start driving more with cruise control. Using the brake will kick it out of cruise. Might be able to get a good feedback loop going.

Or maybe get her to take her left shoe off when driving. The foot is still available in an emergency but feeling the pedal barefoot might break the habit. This may not be a technology issue, but a human conditioning one.

 

[JimPghPA]

Find someone with a degree in electronics to build a circuit that sounds an alarm if she two foots for more than several seconds.

 

[Jetronic]

I am trying to break my daughter from riding the brake with her left foot. She left foot brakes and complains she gets horrible gas mileage. I've tried to explain it to her and she keeps doing it. She was rear ended recently and I'm convinced it was because she was riding the brake and her brake light was constantly on.

I want to rig a light inside the car to tell her when she is riding the brakes, either on the dash or near the rear window where she can see it in her rear view mirror. I want it bright so she can't ignore it.

Any suggestions on how to do this? She has a 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon and has the high mounted third brake light on the lift gate.

realy and buzzer... or horn if she turns up the radio.

You are quite correct, brakes are for stopping the vehicle (on public roads), not to regulate speeds

 

[Jetronic]

In most states it’s illegal to brake with your left foot anyway so definitely need something to break her habit I am sure you could wire something up but she will need to pay attention to it for sure.

Are you sure about that? It's a usefull skill to have but riding the brakes isn't

 

[spasm3]

How old is the daughter? Is it your car? If so park it until she can follow directions.
If she is an adult and it's her car, inform her then let her take care of herself, including paying for her own brake repairs.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Are you sure about that? It's a usefull skill to have but riding the brakes isn't

Yep in some places. When I was taking my driving test I was so used to driving manual I kept hitting it with my left foot and he said if I did it again he would fail me because it was illegal in Virginia. You can use it for the clutch of course in a manual but not a brake.

 

[Jetronic]

so people with rigt foot missing can't drive?

They would fail you here for not showing you are in control if you hit the brake when not supposed to.

 

[Jetronic]

Also, I wish I could left foot brake properly, but the brake pedal is too far to the right for me although I drive automatic now and have a wider brake pedal. I'm thinking to add an extension as for track use it can help to brake and give gas at the same time

 

[PimTac]

You can also tell her that way back when this was the style of older ladies wearing thick lipstick. The power brake pedals used to be much bigger than they are now and those ladies would ride those brakes all over town. The smell of hot drums made it apparent.

 

[JohnnyG]

And blue hair!
Oh, wait, that won't work these days.

 

[atikovi]

She has a 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon and has the high mounted third brake light on the lift gate.

How about some pics. Of the Mazda.... and of she.

 

[JimPghPA]

jhs914, to people who have a degree in electronics, designing custom circuits is similar to giving a crossword puzzle to an English major. It is like solving a puzzle to design different small circuits each to do a specific thing, and then connecting them together in a way that performs a task. In some ways it is an entertaining exercise of the mind. Of course the breadboard to put the parts on, the components, enclosure, and wire all cost something. And there is a lot of studying to get that degree. A professional EE will charge you a lot just for there time, but a skilled electronic hobbyist will probably charge you very little for there time, and may even have some of the parts for building it laying around as surplus items they have acquired over the years. That is the kind of person you need to find to build a circuit for your daughters 2005 Mazda 6 Wagon. Actually there are a couple of different ways that such a circuit could be built. Some one who specialize in small programable microprocessor boards could set up a board to do it. Or it could be done with discrete components. Some electronic engineering hobbyist are skilled in one area, some in the other, and some in both. To you it does not matter much which way they chose do it, as long as it works.

Also mind you, I am talking about electronics, such as transistors, diodes, logic gates, and microprocessors. And in no way am I talking about an Electrician who is skilled in wiring your house.