Do You Need to Press the Brake When Shifting Gears in an Automatic Car?

[MacKeegan]

In most cases, you do not need to press the brake when shifting gears in an automatic car: Shifting from Drive (D) does not require pressing the brake: When shifting from Drive (D) to D3 or D2 while moving, you do not need to press the brake. However, if you suddenly shift from D to a lower gear at high speed, the engine RPM will become very high, and the car may jerk significantly. When driving at a slow speed, you can directly shift to a lower gear. Some cars have Sport (S) or Manual (M) modes, which can be switched to from Drive (D) at any time while driving. Shifting into Neutral (N) requires pressing the brake: Shifting from Neutral (N) to Reverse (R) or Drive (D) requires pressing the brake and holding the shift lock button; otherwise, the gear may not engage. It is important to avoid shifting from Drive (D) to Neutral (N) while driving, as coasting in neutral can damage the automatic transmission.