Is it safer to learn to drive a manual car?

Manual or automatic – which should you choose when you are learning to drive?
Parallel parking, changing lanes, obeying road signs; it seems like there is more than enough to think about during a driving test without having to manually change gear as well. This is certainly the way many people think. After all, there are so many things you need to remember when you take your test, just click here and you can see how much you need to know. It makes sense that you would want to streamline the process as much as possible, so learning to drive in an automatic makes sense.

However, it’s not quite as simple as that. Choosing the right vehicle to learn in, is down to personal choice. But, there are some things you should think about when you are making your decision.

Should you choose manual or automatic for safety?
There are different points of view when it comes to this question. One is that it’s safer to drive a car with a manual transmission because you must be more focused while driving. You are in control of the entire driving experience. Many people believe that driving a manual car also gives you greater knowledge of how the car works, and how it reacts to certain situations. This can help you to remain safe on the road.

On the other hand, driving a car with an automatic transmission gives you less to think about. This means that you can give more of your attention to other important considerations, such as braking and changing lanes in the correct manner. It could be argued that this helps you to drive more safely.

As you can see, it’s not easy to choose between manual and automatic, when it comes to safety. It depends on your point of view. There are other factors you should also think about.

What else do you need to consider?
Although manual transmission cars are becoming less common in the US, this is not the case around the world. In countries such as the UK, manual transmission cars are still in the majority. This means that if you intend to travel it’s useful to be able to drive a manual car; although you should be able to find a rental car with an automatic transmission most of the time.

Another positive of driving a car with a manual transmission is that this type of vehicle can often be purchased more affordably. Once you have made the purchase you will usually also end up spending less money on gas.

There are advantages to be had from being able to drive both a manual and an automatic vehicle. If you have an aptitude for driving, it can be a good idea to learn to drive in a manual vehicle. You develop better overall driving knowledge as a result. If you find driving difficult to pick up, there is nothing wrong with opting to learn, and pass your test, in an automatic vehicle. You can always learn to drive a manual car once you have more driving experience.