Manual Stick Shift : sit in neutral at stop lights?

[hightower]

I shift into neutral and coast to lights. And leave it in neutral until the light turns green.

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by hightower

I shift into neutral and coast to lights. And leave it in neutral until the light turns green.

^ This. I've got the old 4th gen stock hurst shifter in mine but with the WS6 short stick the car can be slapped into gear rather quickly to evade. I'd look into a short throw and use 'safety first!' as an excuse.

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Good think you're not Bill Cosby, or I'd give you a talking to about the foul foul filth!

Ayuh-gazigga-frazigga-mehn.. shabizzy.

[big hammer]

if you keep the clutch fully depressed, the only thing it wears is the release bearing. if you let the clutch grab a little it wears your disc a bit.

[KXRM]

I keep it in first, always have in all manual cars I have owned. It has never damaged anything even when the mileage of the vehicle was over 200K miles. For me, it allows me to react faster because all I have to do is release the clutch and hit the gas.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by upflying

From a defensive driving stand point, I'd leave it in first when stopped. You never know when you need to move in a hurry to avoid something.
That something could be a car about to rear-end you, a car careening out of control across the intersection towards you or a car jacker.

This is straight out of the Driver's Education book of old and it still holds true. Of course, they used to emphasize using turn signals, too...

[ChrisBlair]

Just because it was in a book back in the day, that doesn't make it "correct", sorry but I strongly disagree with 1st gear at a light. I guess it's not surprising to see that most people feel they'd actually have a chance to get out of the way of something or avoid something, but I feel that you're fooling yourselves

Firstly, you'd need to see the danger. How many times have you sat at a light, looking all around, keeping up a good situational awareness, eyes peeled for trouble? Often? or do you more likely fiddle with the radio, look at the light, glance at the cars next to you a couple times, and check your hair in the rear view mirror?

Next, in order to use your razor-sharp reflexes to move the car from danger, you have to have room to move. You car goes forward and reverse, not sideways . In traffic, you have a car in back of you, and a car in front of you, about a yard away from your bumpers, most times. It's rare that you're alone at that light. Slightly less common to be first in line and have no car ahead, or last and no car behind. But in most situations, you're going nowhere. You simply have no room to maneuver.

However, you can be rear-ended at almost any time. When I learned to drive a manual 25 years ago, and when I took a job driving a manual trans delivery truck, I was taught the same thing: neutral, so if you're hit from behind you don't lunge forward into another car or pedestrian/dog/cop/little old lady/ litigious lawyer

In my opinion, if you guys have such lightning-fast reflexes that you can have an opportunity to avoid danger while stopped, have the situational awareness to see danger coming in time to do something about it, and are skilled enough to get your car out of harm's way in time, you can slap the lever into 1st in a nanosecond anyway.

Sorry, but I strongly feel you folks are fooling yourselves. Hope you don't end up regretting it

[A-little-perspective]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Just because it was in a book back in the day, that doesn't make it "correct", sorry but I strongly disagree with 1st gear at a light. I guess it's not surprising to see that most people feel they'd actually have a chance to get out of the way of something or avoid something, but I feel that you're fooling yourselves

Firstly, you'd need to see the danger. How many times have you sat at a light, looking all around, keeping up a good situational awareness, eyes peeled for trouble? Often? or do you more likely fiddle with the radio, look at the light, glance at the cars next to you a couple times, and check your hair in the rear view mirror?

Next, in order to use your razor-sharp reflexes to move the car from danger, you have to have room to move. You car goes forward and reverse, not sideways . In traffic, you have a car in back of you, and a car in front of you, about a yard away from your bumpers, most times. It's rare that you're alone at that light. Slightly less common to be first in line and have no car ahead, or last and no car behind. But in most situations, you're going nowhere. You simply have no room to maneuver.

However, you can be rear-ended at almost any time. When I learned to drive a manual 25 years ago, and when I took a job driving a manual trans delivery truck, I was taught the same thing: neutral, so if you're hit from behind you don't lunge forward into another car or pedestrian/dog/cop/little old lady/ litigious lawyer

In my opinion, if you guys have such lightning-fast reflexes that you can have an opportunity to avoid danger while stopped, have the situational awareness to see danger coming in time to do something about it, and are skilled enough to get your car out of harm's way in time, you can slap the lever into 1st in a nanosecond anyway.

Sorry, but I strongly feel you folks are fooling yourselves. Hope you don't end up regretting it

Sitting at a light in neutral is not anymore correct than sitting at a light in 1st gear with the clutch in. Neither option is wrong.

That's like saying its more correct to look left first before looking right when crossing the street. Who cares as long as you look both directions.

[Bob Cosby]

Eh, left-right-left when crossing the street, cause you're getting into the lane with cars coming from the left first.

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by A-little-perspective

Sitting at a light in neutral is not anymore correct than sitting at a light in 1st gear with the clutch in. Neither option is wrong.

That's like saying its more correct to look left first before looking right when crossing the street. Who cares as long as you look both directions.

It is if you choose to look at it that way, that's for sure

I just gave you some actual things to think about. You replied back with "no, I feel it's the same". Good for you, I guess but it's not a real convincing standpoint from my point of view

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Bob Cosby

Eh, left-right-left when crossing the street, cause you're getting into the lane with cars coming from the left first.

BINGO! See... they used to actually teach this stuff and test people on it before handing out a driver's license. Now, no one even knows the logic behind left-right-left. It makes perfect sense and from a safety perspective it is the correct thing to do.

[Bob Cosby]

Thank you......though it was just a weeeeee bit off topic....

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Just because it was in a book back in the day, that doesn't make it "correct", sorry but I strongly disagree with 1st gear at a light. I guess it's not surprising to see that most people feel they'd actually have a chance to get out of the way of something or avoid something, but I feel that you're fooling yourselves

Probably the #1 rule of the road, that most people these days don't even know, is ALWAYS LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT! That requires paying attention to your surrounding at all times. I may not be able to get out of the way of an out-of-control vehicle coming at me while I sit at a traffic light - but I sure as well intend to try. Can't do that with your car out of gear.

Firstly, you'd need to see the danger. How many times have you sat at a light, looking all around, keeping up a good situational awareness, eyes peeled for trouble? Often? or do you more likely fiddle with the radio, look at the light, glance at the cars next to you a couple times, and check your hair in the rear view mirror?

Fortunately, I don't have to worry much about that hair thing . You forgot talking on the phone, texting, grooving to the stereo... and you're right. People don't pay attention - but they should. I do my best to keep my eyes moving. I was taught to check my rearview/sideview mirrors every five seconds or so - and I do. I am constantly looking ahead, behind, and to the sides - and not just close range. I look well past the vehicles immediately ahead, behind, and to the sides of me. I leave myself an out.

And by the way, I have been driving like this for 44 years and in that time I have had two minor accidents - neither of which was my fault (knock on wood). It's a huge responsibility to be in charge of a 4,000 pound missle speeding down a narrow path full of other speeding missles. And I don't take it lightly.

End of lesson...

[KXRM]

If you are a chick, texting or eating a cheeseburger waiting at the light, than sure, leave it in neutral. I tried to drive this way, wondering if it was any better (for me), and it wasn't. I kept forgetting to put it into gear on light changes and I also found myself feeling vulnerable. You also tend to forget that you do have the option to move forward in two situations, first no-one being in front of you and also, no one being beside and in front of you or perhaps a service lane or easement.

At any rate I won't pretend that my way is the best way, it's just what works for me. So don't pretend your way is some how superior and that I am as lazy and unaware as you at red lights.

[theragtopguy]

Originally Posted by hightower

I shift into neutral and coast to lights. And leave it in neutral until the light turns green.

me too