Can You Shift to Neutral While Driving an Automatic Car?
2 Answers
Automatic cars should not be shifted to neutral while driving. The hazards of shifting to neutral while driving an automatic car are as follows: 1. Reduced braking power: When the car is in neutral and coasting, the connection between the engine and the drive wheels is lost. The car moves forward solely by inertia, and in case of an emergency requiring braking, all braking force must be provided by the brakes alone. 2. Transmission damage: Automatic transmissions require lubrication. When the gear is shifted to N while driving, the oil pump cannot supply oil normally for lubrication, causing the internal components of the transmission to overheat and increasing wear and tear on the transmission.
As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience, I sincerely advise everyone not to shift an automatic transmission into neutral while driving. Once, I was driving in heavy rain and accidentally pushed it into N gear. The car immediately lost traction, the braking effect weakened, and I almost rear-ended the car in front. The reason is simple: in neutral, the engine doesn't provide braking force, relying solely on the braking system to slow down. In emergencies, the braking distance increases, making it easier to lose control. Especially on downhill sections, gravity and acceleration can cause the car to slide faster, reducing stability during turns and posing significant safety risks. Automatic transmissions are designed to operate in D gear. Randomly shifting gears can also cause internal components to wear out faster, which isn't worth the risk. I recommend keeping the car in D gear during normal driving and only shifting to neutral at red lights to save a bit on fuel consumption. Safety first—don't take risks for small gains.
