Manual Drivers: Are they better drivers?

[OtisTheMarsupial]

1. yes
2. yes

[Ogre]

1. Yes
2. Yes
and manuals are 1000x mroe fun to drive

[NorCalJosh]

[ QUOTE ]
I was just reading the flash to pass thread and have been thinking about this for a while:

1) Do you drive a stick?
2) Do you think stick drivers are better drivers?

For me:

1) Yes, for my whole driving career. (7 years)
2) Yes because they pay more attention while driving. For example: I pay more attention to my speed because of the gear I'm in. I rarely eat while driving, and only use the cell phone when I'm stopped at a long light (stopped traffic) or driving in the same gear on the freeway. I have 1 speeding ticket from when I was 16, and no accidents FYI.

I've just always had a bias towards "slush pump" drivers. Anyone else feel the same?

[/ QUOTE ]


if you pay more attention when you're driving stick, then you arent a good enough stick driver. you should be shifting with your elbow wh ile you eat, steer with your knees, and talk on your cell.

[david050173]

I don't know. In SF there are ton of shitty stick shift drivers. You can tell because you can leave 5 feet between you and them at a stop sign and they still almost back into you. And I bet they all think they are good drivers because they drive a stick...

[Blarg]

Exactly. I don't see people with manual transmissions sliding back into my front bumper, but it's happened plenty of time with all the "experts" driving sticks.

[DasLeben]

[ QUOTE ]
I was just reading the flash to pass thread and have been thinking about this for a while:

1) Do you drive a stick?
2) Do you think stick drivers are better drivers?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Yes, and I wouldn't own anything else.
2. Not at all. I see countless terrible stick drivers on a daily basis. People slipping the clutch to 2000 RPM coming off of a stop light, people slipping the hell out of upshifts, improper downshifting technique, etc.

The last one is by far the most irritating, since people are taught how to downshift improperly from the very beginning. I know I was. The "standard" way of downshifting involves 3 steps: clutch in, put it into the lower gear, pull the clutch out. Not only does this put unnecessary wear on your clutch, it's not a smooth and graceful way to get the job done.

The best way to downshift involves rev-matching, where the most basic technique involves a few more steps: clutch in, shifter to neutral, rev to the appropriate RPM for the next lower gear, downshift, clutch out. Done properly, this eliminates wear on the clutch. But, you still have wear on the synchros.

My pickup truck is pretty damn old, so the synchros are worn out and prone to being crunchy. For cars such as these, double clutching might be a good idea. The steps: Clutch in, shift into neutral, clutch out, rev to the appropriate RPM for the next lower gear, clutch in, complete the downshift, clutch out. It sounds like a lot of work, but once you've done it a bajillion times, it's all muscle memory. I don't even think about a double clutch anymore.

Now if you'd like to have some fun, you can do all of this while braking (called heel-toeing). This isn't just a racing technique. It's a solid technique that can improve your safety on the road. While braking, you can choose to do a single-clutch revmatch (the first example), or a double-clutch. I prefer the latter, but again, my synchros are garbage. This allows you to pre-select the appropriate gear for exiting a corner smoothly. When you have the gear already selected, you can keep both hands on the wheel at all times during the corner.

Anyways, I don't mean to ramble on. Just a few things I thought I'd share.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Exactly. I don't see people with manual transmissions sliding back into my front bumper, but it's happened plenty of time with all the "experts" driving sticks.

[/ QUOTE ]

You must have meant automatic transmissions.

Oh, and the OP is right. One just gets a better feel for driving with a stick. I'm not saying people who drive automatics are always worse drivers, but those who have driven a stick for a significant period of time are more likely to be better drivers than those who have never driven a manual, IMNSHO.

There are, of course, plenty of bad drivers who can't drive using either type of transmission.

[lucas9000]

yes, i am.

[bronzepiglet]

1. Yes
2. Usually.

But probably about the two all-time worst drivers I can think of drive stick regularly. I'm talking about being actually scared for your life while riding in their car.

[dabluebery]

I read a study (no idea where) testing this theory. The long and short of it said that manual drivers end up being safer because they are less likely to be distracted by things like food, drinks, cell phones, whatever. The study also theorized that anymore, automatic drivers who don't fall prey to these distractions would be safer than manual drivers. They indicated that simple things like operating the clutch, shifting gears, having 1 hand off the wheel would be things that can contribute to accidents, at least more than a safe automatic driver, who doesn't have to worry about any of it.

It made sense to me, I generally agree. I have 2 cars right now, one is a small sedan with an automatic, and the other is a big pickup with a 5-speed. I live on Long Island, and I admit that I avoid taking the pickup when I know there will be traffic because the clutch is a pain in the neck to go in and out constantly.

I am currently saving up for a 2007 Shelby Mustang, but may chicken out. Not sure if the stick is practical anymore, especially since my wife can't drive it.

Rob