Why do you need to switch between Reverse and Drive when driving? Why not add another pedal that makes the car go backwards instead?

Question

Why do you need to switch between Reverse and Drive when driving? Why not add another pedal that makes the car go backwards instead?

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Answer 1

**That’s exactly how it was 100+ years ago!**

OK, not all cars used a reverse pedal, but one of the most popular, the Ford Model T, did exactly that.

So, don’t believe it when people say it’s impossible or to hard to do. Literally the the first mass-produced car, where simplicity of manufacture was highly important, used a pedal to engage reverse. See this video at 4:12

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTL5z32pqtU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTL5z32pqtU)

So why did it go away? Early automobiles used a variety of transmissions. By the late 1920’s, a design originating with Panhard et Levassor became popular. It had 3 forward gears and revers all engaged through a single shift lever (with the use of a clutch pedal). This design was so good it became the standard.

Once this became the standard, if some manufacturer had switch back to a reverse pedal, it would have been very confusing for drivers.