Automatic only licence

1886

I have two cars (one is on a Classic policy) and both of them are autos. I have a manual licence and had to drive a manual hire car last weekend, every time I pulled off the lights I was revving it up to about 5,000RPM... I blame driving only autos

:rotfl:

dannyrst

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Handbrake in an auto at the lights is only necessary to prevent dazzling the folks behind.

Thank you. There is nothing worse than sitting behind a BMW/Audi that has bright LED brake lights for 10-20 minutes and can't find his handbrake!

rev_henry

ajb69 wrote: »

I think there are two issues here:

1/ Just having an auto-only license - I can't see this being an issue regarding insurance etc. It's not something I can remember explicitly checking , but I'm sure my insurance have only ever asked for license status (full, provisional, etc) and never whether it's a manual or auto license. But you can request two quotes on confused.com or similar which will show you if it's an issue money-wise (which is what this site is here for!). My wife did the same as you propose - her first license was auto-only and after a few years' driving, it was very simple & cheap for her to convert to a manual license, there's not much extra to learn.

2/ Teaching your wife to drive/helping her practice between lessons. Frankly, all down to your relationship with your wife - it works for some, wouldn't work for me, but your mileage may (literally...) differ.

Good luck with whatever you decide, but your plan sounds good to me,

drew

Yes, I think you're spot on. I suspect helping her practice will either work or not, and either way it will be spectacular!

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Two possible reasons:
You don't really need it when the car is parked because selecting "Park" usually locks the transmission and thus the wheels. Though, strictly speaking, the hand/parking brake should also be used.

This, I never use the handbrake.

AdrianC wrote: »

When you're stopped at lights in a manual-gearbox car, what do you do?

Neutral + handbrake if I know the timings of the lights are long enough, otherwise footbrake and clutch if just a few seconds.

robbies_gal

im just saying what i was taught which wa sonly 7 years ago-by all means dont use your handbrake but f the op teaches his wife the wrong way it could cost her the pass

rev_henry

robbies_gal wrote: »

im just saying what i was taught which wa sonly 7 years ago-by all means dont use your handbrake but f the op teaches his wife the wrong way it could cost her the pass

I do of course realise what I do, and what many do, is technically incorrect to test standard, would never teach her that.

AdrianC

rev_henry wrote: »

Neutral + handbrake if I know the timings of the lights are long enough

So why not do that in an auto, too?

otherwise footbrake and clutch if just a few seconds.

Bad idea. If somebody nudges you from behind, your feet are off those pedals, and you're into the car in front. Or the pedestrian crossing in front of you. Test fail, straight off.

Gloomendoom

AdrianC wrote: »

So why not do that in an auto, too?

Possibly because the car's handbook advises not to.

I wouldn't be surprised if 99.9% of the world's population of auto drivers do not put the box into neutral and apply the parking brake while stopped at traffic lights.

If there was a real safety issue with it, surely it would have come to light by now.

bod1467

Gloomendoom wrote: »

If you are my dad, you put the car in neutral and then apply the handbrake. Every time, for over 70 years.

That's what I always do (which also stops the engine - stop/start technology), unless I'm facing down hill and the lights are about to change (assuming I know their timing).

rev_henry

AdrianC wrote: »

Bad idea. If somebody nudges you from behind, your feet are off those pedals, and you're into the car in front. Or the pedestrian crossing in front of you. Test fail, straight off.

Actually thinking about it I do apply the handbrake immediately usually. Its the taking out of gear bit that depends on the wait time. Rarely drive a manual, and its muscle memory or whatever mainly so took a while to remember what I actually do.

rev_henry

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Possibly because the car's handbook advises not to.

I wouldn't be surprised if 99.9% of the world's population of auto drivers do not put the box into neutral and apply the parking brake while stopped at traffic lights.

If there was a real safety issue with it, surely it would have come to light by now.

Exactly.

I'm pretty sure most people do not apply the handbrake either judging by the number of brake lights one sees in queuing traffic.