I have automatic driving licence for 8 years i want to take the test in manual

neilmcl

Biggus_Dickus said:

coffeehound said:

I suppose an autobox driver who has got into the habit of left-foot braking will likely have a harder job converting to manual 

Conversely, involuntary left-foot braking can be quite hazardous for the unwary ‘manual’ motorist who drives an ‘automatic’ for the first time.

I was advised to tuck my left foot underneath my right leg until I got used to not having a clutch pedal,...still caught me out once or twice though.

Slamming on the brakes thinking it’s the clutch pedal isn’t fun,...especially on a motorway.

 

Everyone's done it.

Jenni_D

neilmcl said:

Biggus_Dickus said:

coffeehound said:

I suppose an autobox driver who has got into the habit of left-foot braking will likely have a harder job converting to manual 

Conversely, involuntary left-foot braking can be quite hazardous for the unwary ‘manual’ motorist who drives an ‘automatic’ for the first time.

I was advised to tuck my left foot underneath my right leg until I got used to not having a clutch pedal,...still caught me out once or twice though.

Slamming on the brakes thinking it’s the clutch pedal isn’t fun,...especially on a motorway.

 

Everyone's done it.

Oddly enough, that's one thing I haven't done when switching to an auto. Maybe because I tend to tuck my left foot away (e.g. on a rest place to the left of the clutch) when driving a manual, and maybe because I'm more conscious about the lack of clutch pedal in an auto - I make a mental note each time I get into an auto.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never done that.  

sheramber

I never used my left foot for braking when driving an automatic.  I continued to use my right foot.

My son's car goes into   the garage this week and the courtesy car was automatic only.

coffeehound

MovingForwards said:

^^ yeah, I tried the left foot brake trick, just to see what would happen. My car didn't have servo assisted brakes; it was 'interesting' and the car stopped quick 🤣

Yes I remember once having an injured right foot and trying to use the left for the accelerator on a long motorway journey:  even that simple task was impossible with an untrained foot.

Also hired a couple of vans last month; constantly headbutting the steering wheel with the industrial-strength brakes  

Biggus_Dickus said:

Conversely, involuntary left-foot braking can be quite hazardous for the unwary ‘manual’ motorist who drives an ‘automatic’ for the first time.

I was advised to tuck my left foot underneath my right leg until I got used to not having a clutch pedal,...still caught me out once or twice though.

Slamming on the brakes thinking it’s the clutch pedal isn’t fun,...especially on a motorway.

Really it'll be a good thing once manual gearboxes are consigned to history.  Once we are all driving electric vehicles there'll be less room for confusion and unintended braking/acceleration events

Money_Grabber13579

coffeehound said:

Really it'll be a good thing once manual gearboxes are consigned to history.  Once we are all driving electric vehicles there'll be less room for confusion and unintended braking/acceleration events

For anyone who’s currently got an auto licence and looking to convert to manual, I think this should be a consideration. Presumably the OP has access to an auto car at present and so, is it worth the time, expense and hassle of doing another test, for however many years manual cars have left in existence? Yes, I understand that manual cars might still be with us in 25 years time but as soon as the price of electric cars becomes the same as petrol and diesel cars (which I’ve read is forecast to happen by 2025), that number will diminish year on year.

marlot

bhops said:

So i passed my test around 8 years ago in automatic  and have basically driven for all of the 8 years maybe 6 years if i want to take lessons in manual car so i can take the test in manual how hard will it be for me anyone has done this?

If you ever think you might tow a caravan, horsebox or other big trailer, you can do the towing test and upgrade to a manual licence at the same time
https://www.gov.uk/car-trailer-driving-test/car-rules

AdrianC

coffeehound said:

Really it'll be a good thing once manual gearboxes are consigned to history.  Once we are all driving electric vehicles there'll be less room for confusion and unintended braking/acceleration events

Umm, "unintended braking/acceleration events"? Don't they normally happen in automatics, where confused drivers hit the wrong pedal of two...?

Ditzy_Mitzy

AdrianC said:

coffeehound said:

Really it'll be a good thing once manual gearboxes are consigned to history.  Once we are all driving electric vehicles there'll be less room for confusion and unintended braking/acceleration events

Umm, "unintended braking/acceleration events"? Don't they normally happen in automatics, where confused drivers hit the wrong pedal of two...?

I've only ever heard of that sort of thing happening in automatic cars.  I couldn't find much on the internet in regards to which type is safer; my assumption is that automatics offer less control overall and, by doing things for the driver, lead to a loss of attention on the task itself.  That is tempered, possibly, by drivers of manuals tending to be younger and, perhaps, more aggressive and likely to take risks.  All the rich boy racer types now seem to drive automatics anyway, Audis with silly noise generators round here, so perhaps that will change.  

The best available study seemed to be this one: Manual transmission enhances attention and driving performance of ADHD adolescent males: pilot study - PubMed (nih.gov)

Hyperactive males are top of the tree when it comes to being easily distracted.  One wonders, however, whether that holds true for non-hyperactive males and females.  

coffeehound

AdrianC said:

Umm, "unintended braking/acceleration events"? Don't they normally happen in automatics, where confused drivers hit the wrong pedal of two...?

I was thinking if there is only one format of pedals, there would be less chance of people going for the clutch pedal that isn't there.  But maybe UAS will persist even then.  I don't really understand what causes that other than it being more prevalent with older drivers.

Ditzy_Mitzy

coffeehound said:

AdrianC said:

Umm, "unintended braking/acceleration events"? Don't they normally happen in automatics, where confused drivers hit the wrong pedal of two...?

I was thinking if there is only one format of pedals, there would be less chance of people going for the clutch pedal that isn't there.  But maybe UAS will persist even then.  I don't really understand what causes that other than it being more prevalent with older drivers.

I think the point about confusing the accelerator for the clutch is something of a red herring.  The classic 'unintended acceleration event' (UAE) seems to have one of two causes.  The first is medical: the driver's leg goes into spasm or other temporarily immobile state, forcing the foot down on the accelerator.  The second is psychological: the driver panics, often brought on by selecting the wrong automatic gear for the direction of travel, and ends up with a frozen leg for mental rather than physical reasons.  
The automatic, being partially self-driving, would seem to have potential to exacerbate this situation: a manual car is likely to hit something and stall; an automatic has the ability to bounce off an object and keep going.  That said, the type of driver with the physical impairments necessary to cause a UAE is more likely to drive an automatic, perhaps is only capable of driving an auto so would be otherwise off the road.  There may be a degree of self-selection in the sample, therefore.
My experience of this is limited, however we did have a spectacular UAE in a small town I used to work in.  An elderly gentleman jammed the throttle of his Jag wide open in the supermarket car park and destroyed quite a few parked cars.  I got talking to a traffic policeman about it and he explained that the Jag's driver had had some sort of episode behind the wheel and had no idea what had happened afterwards.