1st gear at a roundabout?

Chris901202

Just a quick question,

if you're approaching a roundabout and you look right for traffic and see one car approaching afterwhich the coast is clear to go, rather than stopping completely (handbrake etc) would it be better to put it into first to ensure a quick and smooth take-off?

Thanks

Creamy Goodness

i'd only go into first if i have to completely stop at a roundabout.

sbhatia

I will use 2nd gear if i am going left or right, if you are going straight than you may use 3rd gear, thats permitted in test and you won't get any mark for that. ofcourse that only applies if there is no traffic coming from right.

BostonB

Be in the right gear for the speed you are doing. Which can be different for different cars. If driving for the test then slowing noticeably so the car is past by the time you get to the roundabout is probably enough.

Alanstrainor

Chris901202 wrote: »

Just a quick question,

if you're approaching a roundabout and you look right for traffic and see one car approaching afterwhich the coast is clear to go, rather than stopping completely (handbrake etc) would it be better to put it into first to ensure a quick and smooth take-off?

Thanks

In that situation, unless the car is showing signs of struggling in 2nd, presuming you're approaching and haven't yet stopped, i'd stay in 2nd. But if you've just come to a halt, yeah i'd pop the car into first and use the foot break.

roadruner

You are supposed to enter every roundabout in second gear as It enables you to stop if needed or continue safely through.

madaboutcars

My driving instructor told me that you only go into 1st if you have to stop, otherwise second unless there's nothing coming and then you can stay in third.

I was also told to go into 4th on the flat if you're doing a constant 50 km/h too.

BostonB

Theres no such thing as a specific gear or speed. Its different in every car, as the gearing is different, at different speeds and with different load. You need to learn to hear if the engine is struggling/straining or at too high a rpm. The right rpm for which gear is different in different cars.

Incidentally some roundabouts have a stop rather than a yield. So don't assume its a yield.

biko

I was told only to use 1st to go from standstill.
If the wheels are moving then use 2nd.
m2c

seamus

madaboutcars wrote: »

My driving instructor told me that you only go into 1st if you have to stop, otherwise second unless there's nothing coming and then you can stay in third.

Only go into first *when* you've stopped. If the vehicle hasn't come to a complete stop, put it in second.

It's tough to come up with set rules about gearing at roundabouts. Think of some of the M50 junctions - if you get the right sequence of lights you can go through some of them in fifth gear. Other roundabouts are so tight that you have no option but to reduce your speed and drop to second to go through.

BostonB

Some low powered cars (1 litre etc) I'd have to drop to first, but equally with sometimes as Seamus said sometimes you night be ok with 3rd or 4th. Its a typical learner thing to cling to a specific gear because their instructor told them, but they should use their common sense instead and use the right gear for the situation.

Alanstrainor

seamus wrote: »

Only go into first *when* you've stopped. If the vehicle hasn't come to a complete stop, put it in second.

+1 to that, and to what bostonb said about the gears and being in the right gear for the speed depending on the car.

madaboutcars

They told me the same thing. Only go back into first when you've stopped(at a roundabout), or if you've to go slow enough that you're barely moving.

BostonB

Its abouts revs not speed. People should be taught to drive using the rev counter and the speedometer covered. Once they've mastered that let them see the speedometer.

prodigal_son

Depends on the car, some cars its perfectly acceptable to drop down to first, 1 litre cars can struggle moving very slow in 2nd and you will get marked on it.

I got one single mark on my test, and it was because i was still moving, kept it in 2nd like all the above tell you, and the car struggled.

If i had of ignored the advice, i would have dropped into first and pulled away smoothly, I did the test in a 1 litre car, and in my normal practice 1.5 honda, i would have kept it in 2nd.

Dont be afraid to drop down to first in a low powered car, just make sure youre going slow.

If your car struggles pulling off in second, even when the wheels are moving, drop it down or you will be marked down on it.

If i was doing my test in a yaris tommorow, and i came to a round about that i had to almost come to a stop, I would for sure drop it down to first, The alternative is keeping it in second and pulling into a round about in a very un responsive (engine wise) manner, and having to floor it to overcome the initial strain.

You wont loose marks for dropping it into first UNLESS you are moving too fast for first (so anything over 5mph and forget about it)...

BlackWizard

I often have to drop into First gear in slow traffic. So I wouldn't say always use second if the wheels are moving. As it's already been said by a few people, it depends on the car. Use what ever gear you and the car are comfortable with.

So in the OPs case, I'd probably drop into First gear if Second didn't feel right. But if I'd a mate or two in the car, I'd more than likely stop completely then take off in First.

I presume in your situation you were already in Second gear. I couldn't recommend coasting onto a round-about, but ya probably know that already.

catz62

You are right in what you said yourself. If you are slowing down to let car go then go back into 1st gear and you will move off more smooth. otherwise the car may struggle and they will mark you for this.:)

Noskoda

BostonB wrote: »

Theres no such thing as a specific gear or speed. Its different in every car, as the gearing is different, at different speeds and with different load. You need to learn to hear if the engine is struggling/straining or at too high a rpm. The right rpm for which gear is different in different cars.

Incidentally some roundabouts have a stop rather than a yield. So don't assume its a yield.

I don't believe I have ever seen a stop sign on the approach to a roundabout. Can you give me any examples of where these occur.

Light controlled roundabouts - where traffic lights control who goes on to a roundabout, are the only ones I know where a driver has to stop

Wishbone Ash

Noskoda wrote: »

I don't believe I have ever seen a stop sign on the approach to a roundabout. Can you give me any examples of where these occur

i'm not sure whether BostonB thinks that some roundabouts legitimately have STOP signs but some do, usually as a result of Local Authority negligence.

Here's an example of one with a STOP sign and YIELD sign on the road surface.

daiixi

OP, to answer your question, there should be no need to put the handbrake on when you're at a roundabout unless you're at one of those ones which are controlled by traffic lights and you're a number of cars back and you know there's going to be plenty of time to go back into gear when the lights change before you have to move off. If your wheels are stopping pop back into first gear and you'll be ready to go when the way is clear.

BostonB

Noskoda wrote: »

I don't believe I have ever seen a stop sign on the approach to a roundabout. Can you give me any examples of where these occur.

Light controlled roundabouts - where traffic lights control who goes on to a roundabout, are the only ones I know where a driver has to stop

I'm sure I've seen it a few times. Makes no sense to me. But this is Ireland. The signage and road markings are a joke, and even dangerous.

Alanstrainor

BostonB wrote: »

I'm sure I've seen it a few times. Makes no sense to me. But this is Ireland. The signage and road markings are a joke, and even dangerous.

+1, i've seen it...and promptly ignored it, on one occasion. I can't remember where it was though...

Alun

BostonB wrote: »

I'm sure I've seen it a few times. Makes no sense to me. But this is Ireland. The signage and road markings are a joke, and even dangerous.

Near where I live, the local town council did some work on tidying up a T junction, cut down some trees and bushes that obscured the view and generally improved the sightlines, and then when they repainted the road markings replaced the old perfectly reasonable Yield markings with Stop ones, but then left the rusty old Yield sign where it was. Needless to say everyone just treats it as a Yield sign as it should be. Stupid.

A-Trak

A quick question on gearing down in general if anyone can help.
I've my test on coming up and have to use a car that I drive fairly infrequently.
It's a 1L engine and I find that coming to a stop, even in 2nd - the car seriously shudders before coming to a halt, so I'm forced to fully engage the clutch about 3feet earlier/1 second then I would in my own car so as not to cut out

Would this be seen as coasting? The car's very obviously strugling and would cut out otherwise.
And if so should I drop to 1st when coming to a complete stop? (This does not feel right.)

seamus

If the car starts shuddering, hit the clutch. General rule of thumb about when to hit the clutch when coming to a stop is about two car lengths, but it could easily be as much as four - depends on what gear you're in.

Coasting is more riding on the clutch to ease the drive - like sitting on the clutch before a corner, or changing gear but not disengaging the clutch.

Mr Magnolia

You don't need to be in first gear when coming to a stop.

The car will always struggle in any gear coming to a stop if the clutch is not engaged. You should clutch before the car starts struggling.

BostonB

seamus wrote: »

If the car starts shuddering, hit the clutch. General rule of thumb about when to hit the clutch when coming to a stop is about two car lengths, but it could easily be as much as four - depends on what gear you're in.

Coasting is more riding on the clutch to ease the drive - like sitting on the clutch before a corner, or changing gear but not disengaging the clutch.

I would say thats riding the clutch. I always thought coasting was moving while in neutral.

Ciaran500

Another gearing question. If I have to brake hard (e.g. when coming up to a green light that goes amber at the wrong time or an emergency stop) am I still expected to shift down through the gears or should I just brake hard and clutch in when nescerary.

Alanstrainor

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Another gearing question. If I have to brake hard (e.g. when coming up to a green light that goes amber at the wrong time or an emergency stop) am I still expected to shift down through the gears or should I just brake hard and clutch in when nescerary.

Generally it will just be a case of breaking and clutching in, it depends on the situation, if a person steps out in front of you it's a case of brakes and clutch without gearing down, there just isn't the time to change through the gears, the priorities are staying in control and stopping the car in those situations.

Alanstrainor

BostonB wrote: »

I would say thats riding the clutch. I always thought coasting was moving while in neutral.

Coasting is moving with the clutch depressed also, for example a situation where you are driving down the road at 50km/h and you just put your foot on the clutch(why you'd do this i'm not sure...craziness i presume:))

A-Trak

Cheers Seamus and Mr Magnolia.

I took the car for a spin and found clutching about 2.5 lengths of the car on average really sorted my fear and also the car struggling.

Now to put it all together tomorrow morning.
If it goes pear shaped I will of course be telling the tester that a mod and an Smod gave me instruction and to take it up with them if they've issues with my driving:p