Any sensor on or near the brake pedal will need to operate in a dirty, sometimes wet environment. Since the braking operation occurs on the floor inside the vehicle, any sensor in the area will be subject to very rough treatment. Mechanical sensors have been used in the past but have encountered faulty operation due to contamination affecting their operation. The brake can have a lot of movement before the brake shoes actually engage. This gives rise to the need that a sensor, sensing the brake pedal movement, must have a very long sensing distance.