Automatic or Manual?
It’s a question we are often asked by learners and their parents. Should we go for an automatic or manual licence? The simple answer is that it is not a case of one shoe fits all. We’ve come up with a number of thoughts that can be considered when making this decision.
Driving Options
For some people, there is a decision that is made from an early stage that an automatic licence is all they will ever need. For many this is true. However, we have many clients every year contacting us to assist in upgrading from an automatic licence to a manual one. While this is not normally a difficult process – many clients in this position feel comfortable with their general driving and learning the gears is not as challenging as first thought – it is still an expense in time and money which leaves most wishing they’d just gotten the manual licence first time. If there is any probability that a manual licence could be needed for a job or even just driving a friend’s car home after a night out, then our advice is always to consider getting the licence that gives you the most driving options. That is, the manual licence.
Pathways to a Manual Licence
Let’s consider some pathways towards achieving a manual licence. Firstly, is there a manual car to practice on at home? If the answer is yes, it is definitely worth thinking about starting with manual lessons. This way, the learner has the opportunity to learn good manual driving habits right from the start. It might take a little longer to get to a point where the learner can drive to school or the shops, but this will provide a greater learning benefit in the long run.
If there is only an automatic car for the learner to gain their hours on, a couple of auto lessons at the start will allow the learner to get to a point where they can drive with Mum and/or Dad to get their driving confidence up. Manual lessons at this stage can be worthwhile, but the inability to practice between lessons increases the number of lessons required (which also increases the cost). Saving manual lessons for closer to the finish of the learner period will help gain momentum in manual driving leading up to the test.
Some families are lucky enough to have both automatic and manual cars available for the learner. In this situation, there is no right or wrong answer. Some prefer to do up to 50 hours in the auto building up a learner’s road craft skills, then switch to the manual. Others go into the manual car at the start so a learner does not get too comfortable driving an automatic, which could lead to anxiety about switching to a manual car later on.
Manual & Automatic Car Driving Lessons
Whether it be manual or auto, Emmaus Driver Training has the vehicles and the trainers to support you whichever way you decide to go.
If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.
You’re totally right about how it’s important to learn to drive both automatic and manual transmissions. A friend of mine went the first few years of having a driving license without knowing stick, and now she’s having to hire someone to teach her. I’ll have to show her a copy of this article. Thanks for sharing!