Learning to drive late in life. I’m good with awareness, changing gears, interactions, roundabouts, spatial awareness, yadda yadda - a lifetime of cyclist awareness.

I just can’t brake softly to save my life. It feels like I put the pedal half down, and nothing happens to the speed and then I do an inch more and suddenly the whole car locks up.

Is this normal? I just have to get used to finding a gentle breaking point somehow?

  • You just get used to the feel of the brake pedal, it’ll come with practice. It’s just the same as finding the bite point on the clutch, you eventually do it without even thinking about it.

  • You need to note where is the spot when brakes start catching.

    So later what you do js quickly press pedal to this point, then gently a bit more to actually engage the brake slowly.

    Every vehicle is different, so I found that driving as many as you can will teach you much faster.

    Also you can learn limo driver stop, which is gently releasing brakes a bit, just before vehicle stops.

  • Aim at a large crowd.

    Less sarcastically as others have said. With lots of practice you get a feel for the breaking g system. Its more muscle memory then mathematical theory.

    Many decades ago. When I learned to drive. It was common for the instructor to find an empty carpark and let you drive around slowly getting a feel for the car. As you avoided the resident dinosaurs.

  • Hmm… the way i’ve taught it is biomechanical in nature.

    I assume you are pressing the brakes using your toes. You’ll want to switch to using the middle of your foot. Specifically, plant your ankle up as close as possible to the brake pedal, and keep it planted there. To brake, you pivot on the ankle. This should give you more control to apply gradual pressure on the pedal.

  • Are you wearing big boots (or steel toecaps) by any chance? A lighter shoe with a thinner sole might help to feel the pedals a bit better.

    P.s. I don’t drive yet either, so my opinion may be useless, but I did a few lessons and this made quite a difference to pedal control.