DEFENSIVE DRIVING

The difference between an automatic transmission

The difference between an automatic transmission and a manual transmission can be summed up pretty much by the names. The automatic transmission will shift gears automatically according to the speed of the drive shaft and the engine rpm, A manual transmission will shift gears according to the input of the driver. Both are good for many reasons and both have their own quirks and idiosyncrasies.

For the beginner driver it is easier to learn the fundamentals of the road with an automatic because you're not fighting your car as well as dodging other cars. With an automatic the driver basically steers and controls the acceleration and deceleration of the car. The transmission does all the work of selecting the proper gear for the speed you are traveling. It removes the driver along with diver error from the shifting. Of course you can select what gear you want to be in with an automatic for certain applications, and as always a reverse gear. You can put the automatic transmission in 1st gear if you are pulling a load up a steep hill and you don't want the transmission shifting into a higher gear making it harder on the motor. On the whole however the driver will put the car in "Drive" and then forget about the gears until they are finished and put it in "Park".

The manual transmission requires the driver to make all the shifting decisions and also has to use the clutch. This takes a fair amount of concentration and requires all your limbs to be in good working order to drive properly. The driver must engage the engine with the transmission slowly and smoothly with the clutch in order to start moving and must then shift gears according to the speed he is going. Each time disengaging the motor from the transmission using the clutch, sliding the shift lever into the proper position and then reengaging the motor. This transmission gives the driver much more control over the vehicle, but also makes the driver responsible for all the shifting. Bad things can happen if the driver selects the wrong gear. You can stall a vehicle or possibly go into a compression skid situation. Once mastered however the act of shifting will become so common place that it will become second nature.

Each transmission is good for different reasons. If you are driving in the city and doing lots of stopping a starting the automatic will be much easier to drive. If you are off road and need a feather touch on the clutch to get over that certain obstacle then the manual is better. Most race cars are manual except for some drag cars where the driver has chosen the transmissions to shift so he can't make a mistake. On the whole cars and trucks today are coming out with automatics, which make the car drivable to a wider range of people. However if you take the time to learn how to drive a standard I think you will be pleased.