Do You Need to Press the Brake When Shifting Gears in an Automatic Transmission While Driving?
2 Answers
Automatic transmission vehicles do not require pressing the brake when shifting gears while driving. Here are the reasons: 1. The vehicle is already in the D (Drive) gear while moving. When shifting gears, it might be to switch to S (Sport) or M (Manual) mode. Automatic transmission vehicles do not allow switching to N (Neutral), P (Park), or R (Reverse) while driving. 2. For automatic transmission vehicles, the brake pedal only needs to be pressed when shifting into P (Park) gear. For other gears, normal manual control is sufficient without the need for assistance from the right foot. This is mainly because, in P (Park) gear, there is a control lock valve that must be released by pressing the brake pedal, allowing the gear to shift from P (Park) to other gears (when parking and shifting).
When I first drove an automatic transmission car, I also had this question. Later, I found out whether you need to press the brake when shifting gears while driving depends on the situation. If you're shifting from D (Drive) to other forward gears like S (Sport) or L (Low), you don't need to press the brake at all—the transmission is designed for this operation, and you can simply push to switch without any issues. However, shifting to N (Neutral), R (Reverse), or P (Park) requires pressing the brake; otherwise, shifting while the car is still moving can cause impact, potentially damaging the transmission or creating a risk of losing control. A friend of mine accidentally shifted into reverse on the highway—luckily, the speed was low, and nothing serious happened, but the repair costs were high. Now, I remind myself: only handle non-forward gears when the car is stopped. It's all about developing good driving habits; during long trips, avoid frequent gear shifts and use cruise control to minimize intervention. Regularly checking the transmission fluid can also help prevent malfunctions.
