It takes an average driver a fifth of a second to move his foot from accelerator to brake.

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One, this is not a time to take -- to use the metaphor -- take our foot off the accelerator here.

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Many automatic transmissions today have a "sport" setting that holds off on upshifts as long as possible and that keeps the gears engaged even when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator.

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The U.S. Open champion raced through the opening set in just 23 minutes, and while she took her foot off the accelerator in the second, the match was always within the 15th seed's keeping.

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Combine that with a new quarter and it made sense to get the foot off of the accelerator this week.

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The stronger jobs report once again calls into question just how long the Federal Reserve will keep its foot mashed on the monetary easing accelerator.

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The yellow metal was immediately boosted in the aftermath of a surprisingly weak U.S. employment report, which suggests the Federal Reserve will keep its foot on the easy-money accelerator for some time to come.

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He also called for caution on the latest figures for economic growth and said he believed the "foot should stay firmly on the monetary accelerator".

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That reduced clearance may mean the driver's foot could brush the side of the brake pedal when going from the accelerator to the brake, thus increasing stopping distances and the risk of a crash.

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