Just done my first Driving lesson - what do you do with gears at traffic lights?

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Reply 20

username1899909

When coming to a junction i slow down , brake , press lightly on the clutch , and handbrake ...

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 21

RogerOxon

Original post by Reality Check

@RogerOxon The 'break' and 'gear one' - my, cars really have changed.

Reply 22

RogerOxon

As a slight aside, in the US, most cars are automatics. The standard procedure is to sit at traffic lights with the car in drive and your foot on the brake pedal. They only use the handbrake (which they call the "emergency brake") when they park, and not always then (there is a transmission lock when in "park", although it may roll a bit before it engages). I use the handbrake as in the UK.

Reply 23

Reality Check

Original post by Good bloke

There is a significant difference between a break and a brake. Not using the latter properly can lead to the former.

Nice...very nice. :smile:

. You should be pleased with that: I would be.

Reply 24

Twinpeaks

Original post by Talon

I don't use neutral at traffic lights unless I know I am going to be there a while and want to give my left leg a break (I drive a freelander which does require a bit of force on the clutch). I always go straight into first. I don't normally use the handbrake unless I am on a hill, and sometimes not even then (don't follow my example :biggrin:

). I don't advise sitting in neutral as you have more to do when the lights turn green, and when you are learning to drive you will want to keep things simple.

I used to never put my car in neutral but it has its benefits. If ever say you were waiting at traffic lights, became a bit distracted and your foot slipped off the clutch then you haven't got to worry about stalling. I often see cars stop really close behind eachother in traffic lights, and if they had a nasty stall they could jerk and bump the car in front.

I also think it's a good idea to use the handbrake because if a car hits you from behind it'll help prevent you from lurching forward and hitting the car in front, when in a queue.

These are all extreme examples but they do happen. I never used to put my car in neutral or use the handbrake at lights, but I'm in the habit of it now.

When I learned to drive I'd never put the car in neutral though, it's too much fuss for a learner driver.

Reply 25

RogerOxon

Original post by Twinpeaks

I often see cars stop really close behind eachother in traffic lights, and if they had a nasty stall they could jerk and bump the car in front.
It's a good idea to leave a reasonable gap. If you get hit from behind, you don't want to hit the car in-front.

Original post by Twinpeaks

I also think it's a good idea to use the handbrake because if a car hits you from behind it'll help prevent you from lurching forward and hitting the car in front, when in a queue.
Arguably, the foot brake is better (if you keep your foot on it!), as it brakes all four wheels, whereas the handbrake is only the rear wheels (and weight will transfer to the fronts in a rear-shunt). I still use the handbrake though.

Reply 26

Twinpeaks

Original post by RogerOxon

It's a good idea to leave a reasonable gap. If you get hit from behind, you don't want to hit the car in-front.

Arguably, the foot brake is better (if you keep your foot on it!), as it brakes all four wheels, whereas the handbrake is only the rear wheels (and weight will transfer to the fronts in a rear-shunt). I still use the handbrake though.

I know but if there's heavy queues say to get into a shopping centre (especially this time of year!) people often cram behind each other as tight as possible.

Yeah but if someone bumped me from behind I can't be sure if I'd keep my foot on the pedal. I'd probably imagine the movement and shock of being bumped will cause some bodily movement :tongue:

Reply 27

Reality Check

Original post by RogerOxon

It's a good idea to leave a reasonable gap. If you get hit from behind, you don't want to hit the car in-front.

Original post by Twinpeaks

I know but if there's heavy queues say to get into a shopping centre (especially this time of year!) people often cram behind each other as tight as possible.

Also, what would happen if you're really close up to the bumper of the car in front in queuing traffic and it overheats or something and breaks down? If you've not left any gap to manoeuvre, it's going to be difficult to navigate round it. Ok, it's not likely to happen on a regular basis, but it's a possibility

Reply 28

chazwomaq

So much bad driving advice in this thread!

At traffic lights you should come to a stop, put car in neutral then engage handbrake. The car is then secure if your feet slip off. Do not sit there at the biting point with foot brake: it's bad for the car and leads to the possibility of stalling or bumping into car in front.

At T junctions it depends on how quickly you can pull out. You could come to a stop with foot brake, shift into first and get ready to pull away if there is an opening soon. If you have to wait for longer (10-20s?), you should put it in neutral and engage handbrake.

At a STOP sign, you must stop the car completely, put it in neutral and engage handbrake.

Also, you should only use 1st gear for pulling away from a standing start, not if the car is already moving. 2nd gear is correct for that.

Reply 29

Betelgeuse-

I am 30+ into lessons and have never once used the handbrake except when coming to a permanent stop . Foot on brake ftw

Reply 30

RogerOxon

Original post by chazwomaq

Also, you should only use 1st gear for pulling away from a standing start, not if the car is already moving. 2nd gear is correct for that.

Generally, probably, but it does depend upon the car. My older car (1993) has a four speed automatic gearbox. Unless you specifically select first for spirited driving, it uses second from standstill. It does have a 5.4l V8 though :smile:

. Some cars can do over 60mph in first.

One of the cars that I learnt to drive in was a Volvo 164 (3l straight six IIRC). It had a four speed manual gearbox and a sloppy gear linkage, so I did do the odd hill start in 3rd. Not recommended, but better than reverse, which was the other side of first.

Reply 31

RogerOxon

Original post by chazwomaq

So much bad driving advice in this thread!

Driving is a bit like child rearing - there are lots of different opinions. It's best to know what the examiners want, and to do that.

Reply 32

TimmonaPortella

Original post by Reality Check

The rationale of not leaving it in first with the clutch down is that if for some reason your foot came off the clutch with it in gear (this is quite feasible) the car could lurch forwards and hit the car in front.

Yes, it is quite feasible if for some reason you don't have control of your legs, e.g. you are physically disabled or heavily intoxicated.

The answer is that you put it into neutral and put the handbrake on if you're going to be sat there for a while. If it's going to be quick, don't bother. If you're taking your test it won't matter either way, it just might make your foot tired if you sit there for 5 minutes holding in the clutch.

Reply 33

Reality Check

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Yes, it is quite feasible if for some reason you don't have control of your legs, e.g. you are physically disabled or heavily intoxicated..

What a stupid thing to say. How about if you just forget it's in gear after a while and take you foot off the clutch? Do you think that's feasible?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 34

Good bloke

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Yes, it is quite feasible if for some reason you don't have control of your legs, e.g. you are physically disabled or heavily intoxicated.

Original post by Reality Check

What a stupid thing to say. How about if you just forget it's in gear after a while and take you foot off the clutch? Do you think that's feasible?

A more important, perhaps, reason you use the handbrake is on a wet day when you have probably brought considerable moisture into the car and onto the pedals, giving rise to a significant risk of your left foot slipping off the clutch or you right foot slipping off the brake.

Reply 35

Reality Check

Original post by Good bloke

Yes, and this has happened to me more than once.

Reply 36

Good bloke

Original post by Reality Check

Yes, and this has happened to me more than once.

Me too. Once while I was parallel parking and I had an embarrassing collision with the car ahead of me.

Reply 37

TimmonaPortella

Original post by Reality Check

What a stupid thing to say. How about if you just forget it's in gear after a while and take you foot off the clutch? Do you think that's feasible?

The obvious answer is just 'don't forget', but I did make provision for sitting there for 'a while' in my post.

Original post by Good bloke

Fair comment. If my shoes/pedals were slippy I would adjust to that circumstance as suggested.

Reply 38

Jackieox

Original post by Betelgeuse-

I am 30+ into lessons and have never once used the handbrake except when coming to a permanent stop . Foot on brake ftw

You could fail your test for that..Have you done hill starts yet? it's so much easier to use the handbrake on a hillstart

Reply 39

im.a.witch

Original post by blobbybill

What do you do with the gears at traffic lights and junctions such as T-Junctions?

I know that when coming to a complete stop (I haven't been even near a traffic light yet), you brake to lose most of the speed and get down to about 10mph, bring down the clutch and continue to brake, then once you are stopped fully, put the handbrake on and change into neutral.
However, what do you do with the foot brake pedal then? When do you take it off when coming to a complete stop? Do you let go of the foot pedal after putting on the handbrake?

And at something like a t-junction or traffic light, where you need to temporarily come to a complete stop and then start again, what do you do with the gears and brakes? Do you need to put the handbrake on? Do you put it in neutral, or first gear, and why? Please can you explain these questions to me.

Thanks

You have got loads of answers already but here goes:

At traffic lights brake and clutch down completely when break to a stop
clutch down either change to neutral or first gear (If 1st gear you HAVE to keep the clutch down if neutral you can lift off the clutch.

At a cross roads or even roundabout for example you select first gear with clutch completely down and when you think there is a big enough gap for you into you can raise the clutch to the biting point and go.

You don't need to use the handbrake you can just have your foot on the brake because you foot will be on the clutch already.

Generally you only put it into neutral if you KNOW your going to be stationary for a LONG time. (keeping foot on clutch all the time actually wears it out EVENTUALLY)

If you know you will only be stopped for lets say less than 3 minutes(E.g. if lights were on red when you arrived at the lights indicating they will be changing soon) then you can just put it into first.

YOU WILL get the hang of It I promise you it becomes like second nature
HOPE this has made some sense :smile: