If you are a manual car driver and planning to drive an automatic car, you can expect certain differences. Today, we will be discussing these differences because the methods to manoeuvre an automatic car are a bit different from that of an automatic car. Also, if you want to drive an automatic car, taking lessons for the same from a driving school is recommended. That way, you can be safe.
1) You Won’t See a Clutch
In the manual driving lessons, you have been taught to push the clutch pedal to change gears and to brake smoothly. But when you are driving an automatic car, you will not notice a clutch. This is because these cars have gears that change themselves based on how much you accelerate thus eliminating the need to have a clutch.
However, to stop your car smoothly, you will need to put your feet off the acceleration pedal and slowly apply force to the brake pedal.
2) It Might Take Some Time To Get Used To The Gearstick
The automatic car does have a gearstick but you will not see any numbers printed since we have already mentioned that the car speed depends on how much you accelerate. That’s what makes it an ‘automatic car’. However, you will notice certain letters on the gearstick.
They are ‘P’ for park, ‘R’ for reverse, ‘N’ for neutral and ‘D’ for drive. However, some automatic cars do provide you with the option of controlling the speed of the car with the gear.
Here, you might notice ‘D1′, ‘D2′, etc. which indicate the acceleration.
3) Automatic Forward or Backward Movement
Strange it might seem, but this is a natural thing for automatic cars. That is, if you put your car in the forward gear, you might notice that the car creeps forward automatically, even if you do not press the accelerator pedal. The same thing will happen when you put your car in reverse. So, you will need to be a bit careful when driving this type of vehicle. But if you take the automatic driving lessons before you start driving the car, you will already get an idea about these and can manoeuvre your car smoothly.
4) Not All Automatic Transmissions Are The Same
Though the basic operations that have been mentioned here are somewhat the same, you might find variations in car models. But if you have the basic idea, you will not experience much difficulty in getting accustomed to it. Also, if you have to buy an automatic vehicle, you can ask the dealer about the basic functions and differences. He will guide you with it.
5) Speed Control is Different
By now you have already gained the idea of how speed-control will be a bit different in the automatic car as compared to the manual one. But if you are facing difficulties with it, do not panic, keep practising and you will improve over time. Besides, if you face doubts or problems while learning, ask your automatic driving instructor and clear them to keep yourself safe from accidents.
These are some of the things that you can expect when shifting from a manual to an automatic vehicle. But apart from this, getting accustomed to the vehicle will take some time.
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