How to gear shift in automatic vehicle

24. THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT

Many applicants for the on-road driving test choose to undertake it in a vehicle with automatic gear shift. This is not surprising - a pass is easier to achieve and, in some states, it is legal to drive both automatic and manual vehicles afterwards.

However, just because the average motorist does not need to change gears in a vehicle with auto transmission, there are some basic principles, which must be understood. Under certain circumstances control of the vehicle may be lost, if the driver has not learned the dangerous situations that could arise and/or fails to act intelligently.

Before covering these perilous situations,

let's look at the auto gear stick:

P - Park	A locking mechanism stop the vehicle from rolling away unexpectedly. Caution: Only engage P after the vehicle has stopped completely and the handbrake has been applied! (Major damage may occur otherwise). Engine will start in P.
R - Reverse	Look behind before moving the vehicle in R! Keep looking while moving in reverse!
N - Neutral	No gear engaged. Vehicle may roll, if neither handbrake nor footbrake is applied. Engine will start in N.
D - Drive	Standard position under normal driving conditions. Engine will not start in D. (Check before calling for road service that vehicle is properly in P or N!)
2nd gear and 1 or L gear	Automatic vehicles do have gears. Lower gears (second and first) are 'automatically' engaged. When driving down a steep road and/or for a long distance, a lower gear must be selected by shifting the gear stick. This is especially important when towing a heavy load and for heavy vehicles. The selected gear must match the vehicle speed or engine damage may occur.

Automatic vehicles, become dangerous in wet or slippery conditions, especially driving steep downhill. Drivers who increase the pressure on the brakes may lose control, because a reduction in traction could lead to skidding.

Likewise, driving uphill and accelerating to harshly may cause the tyres to lose traction and spin out of control. Engaging a lower gear, at the correct speed, will assist to keep the vehicle under control. The engine will act as additional braking power. Less pressure on the brakes on a wet road surface means less chance of skidding.

Become familiar with the gears and their function before driving an automatic vehicle.

Please note: An automatic vehicle can stall. It may happen in real cold weather or if there is an issue with the engine. It's vitally important that new drivers know what to do, if the engine stalls in the middle of a busy road:

1. Apply footbrake.

2. Shift gear lever into N (neutral).

3. Turn the ignition key until the engine restarts!

4. Shift gearlever back into D (or R).

5. Release footbrake and accelerate out of danger!

Should I learn to drive manual or automatic?

There are good arguments to learn in, and to drive, a manual vehicle.

1) It's easy to switch to automatic later. From automatic to manual is hard. Driving a manual vehicle is a life skill. You never know when you will need to use it, driving an friend's vehicle or for an employer.

2) Manual vehicles are cheaper to buy. They burn less fuel.

3) A flat battery is less of a hassle. A manual vehicle can be push-started, not so an automatic.

Learner drivers who learned in a manual vehicle are often better trained, than those who obtain their licence in an automatic vehicle. They gain valuable experience on the road while learning and perfecting clutch and gears.

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Our information could vary in your part of the world. We recommend you use above information in conjunction with a professional driving instructor.

Road Safety by Dieter Fischer - Learner Driver Hub 2020.