stopping at traffic lights....

hogeybear

My girlfriend is learning how to drive at the moment. While we were out for a spin last night with a friend we approached a set of traffic lights. I was always taught that when you are stopped at the traffic lights you should put your car in neutral and apply the handbrake. My friend says that you should keep the car in first gear with your foot on the clutch and apply the handbrake. Who's right?

Alanstrainor

hogeybear wrote: »

My girlfriend is learning how to drive at the moment. While we were out for a spin last night with a friend we approached a set of traffic lights. I was always taught that when you are stopped at the traffic lights you should put your car in neutral and apply the handbrake. My friend says that you should keep the car in first gear with your foot on the clutch and apply the handbrake. Who's right?

Well i'd agree with you in putting hand brake on and putting the car into neutral, it allows you to rest your left leg and "relax" so to speak. However a lot of instructors advise learners to stay in gear, to be ready to go when the lights go green. So really you're both correct so to speak, it just comes down to preference. Learner drivers tend to take longer to get going, ie, getting into gear and moving off.
Personally i'd stop, handbrake, neutral, and watch the lights to see when my lights are going to change, then get into gear to be ready.

hogeybear

Thanks a million I'm pretty sure I'm right lol.... Same guy said you had to indicate to the right when you are going straight through a four way roundabout. Makes sense really considering if i had the car in first and my foot slipped off the clutch i'd either cut out completely and damage the transmission or I would end up hitting the guy in front.

RAFC

I was taught to put the car in neutral and pull hand brake up, the instructor told me it was incase you were rearended your car would not be pushed into the back of the car in front. Made sense - but years later i keep my foot on the clutch and car in first (I do keep an eye on whats happening behind, just in case):)

When doing my test though, I did put the car in neutral with the handbrake up.

Alanstrainor

RAFC wrote: »

I was taught to put the car in neutral and pull hand brake

Surely you mean handbrake and then neutral.

RAFC wrote: »

the instructor told me it was incase you were rearended your car would not be pushed into the back of the car in front. Made sense - but years later i keep my foot on the clutch and car in first (I do keep an eye on whats happening behind, just in case):)

When doing my test though, I did put the car in neutral with the handbrake up.

Usually i find people do the opposite, and leave the car in gear and apply the handbrake while learning to get used to the clutch/moving off etc. And when this is mastered they apply the handbrake and put the car into neutral.
But like i said, both are considered fine for the test, despite some dangers of leaving the car in gear.

timmywex

I was always told to use first gear if first in the line of traffic, otherwise neutral was fine!

Mark200

My dad always told me to put the handbrake on, but when I was getting lessons my driving instructor noticed that when I was at the front of a queue at traffic lights I was always rushing to get the handbrake down etc once the lights turned green, so he told me if I was more comfortable with keeping the car in gear and my foot on the clutch so I could get away quicker, when the first or second car in the queue, then I could.

So really, whatever you want.

Alanstrainor

I remember when i got lessons, my instructor just said, "put her into neutral and relax, just keep an eye on those lights in the junction, when you see them change, get ready"
For example, on a cross roads controlled by lights, waiting at a red light to go straight ahead, watch the traffic/lights on the cars going perpendicular to you and when you see their light change, or cars start to slow, get ready.

SeanW

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I remember when i got lessons, my instructor just said, "put her into neutral and relax, just keep an eye on those lights in the junction, when you see them change, get ready"
For example, on a cross roads controlled by lights, waiting at a red light to go straight ahead, watch the traffic/lights on the cars going perpendicular to you and when you see their light change, or cars start to slow, get ready.

Good advice, and I concur, Handbrake + neutral FTW testers expect it and if you're experienced, you won't lose more than about half a second putting the car in first and disengaging the handbrake. Tricks like watching perpindicular lights can help, of course them going red doesn't necessarily mean you're about to get the green but you can put your hand on the gearstick in anticipation.

RedzDrivingScho

SeanW wrote: »

Good advice, and I concur, Handbrake + neutral FTW testers expect it and if you're experienced, you won't lose more than about half a second putting the car in first and disengaging the handbrake. Tricks like watching perpindicular lights can help, of course them going red doesn't necessarily mean you're about to get the green but you can put your hand on the gearstick in anticipation.

I agree with Sean and Alanstrainer on this....the whole point is to be reasonably prepared to proceed when the lights turn green. If you're third or fourth car at the lights then when the lights go green you have a second or two to prepare the car to proceed.....if it takes you longer then prepare the car before you anticiapte the lights will go green.....likewise if first at the lights and you anticiapte the lights will change shortly then best to have the car prepared to proceed.....there's no hard and fast rule and these are the decisions a driver has to take....