Automatic cars have seen a massive increase in popularity in recent years, with more vehicles being manufactured and more people choosing them over manual.
With the increased investment in automatic self-driving cars, the rise of the automatic looks set to continue and new drivers are being encouraged to choose them over a manual vehicle.
If you’re learning to drive or have recently passed your test, here are just a few reasons why you should be thinking about taking the wheel of an automatic car.
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Ease of use
While changing gear is not exactly a difficult skill to master, clutch control and gear changes are one less thing to worry about if you’re learning to drive in an automatic.
It can take new drivers some time before they are fully comfortable in changing gears and the risk of stalling your vehicle is higher.
Stalling can be very awkward, especially if there are other road users around or if it happens during your driving test.
Automatic transmissions are, therefore, easier to get to grips with and reduce the chances of stalling.
Better on hills
Hill starts in a manual car may also be difficult for new drivers to master, again increasing the risk of stalling.
Juggling the clutch and accelerator takes considerable practice. For less experienced drivers, an automatic vehicle can take care of the problem as they operate more efficiently and can deal with hills of any gradient.
Better for city driving
When you learn to drive in the city you’ll find there’s an awful lot more stop-start driving than there is in more suburban or rural areas.
When you’re having to deal with traffic in a manual car, you’ll need to work the clutch a lot more and you will find a lot of effort must go into starting, accelerating, decelerating and stopping the car.
Not only will this require a lot of concentration and legwork, but it’s also not good for your vehicle’s clutch and it will wear out much faster. In an automatic, city driving is a lot easier and requires less input in heavy traffic.
Safer
When you’re learning to drive, you’re taught to always keep your hands on the wheels.
That’s not possible when you’re driving a manual car and need to shift gears, and many inexperienced drivers will struggle to maintain full control of their vehicle whilst trying to navigate a gearstick.
Taking your eyes off the road to check your gear can be very dangerous given the distance a car can travel, and even a momentary lapse in concentration can have consequences.
When you learn to drive in an automatic, you can keep both hands on the wheel at all times and that means a safer drive.
Automatic cars are only going to increase in popularity, particularly among learner drivers and those who have just passed their tests.
Learn to drive in an automatic car and you’ll quickly find they are easier, more comfortable and safer to use than a manual.
