Do You Still Need to Press the Brake Pedal to Shift Gears While Driving an Automatic Transmission Car?
2 Answers
For automatic transmission vehicles, you need to press the brake pedal and also press a switch on the gear lever when shifting into P (Park) or R (Reverse) gears. Other gears can be engaged directly without pressing the brake. Additional information is as follows: 1. The requirement to press the brake for shifting is to prevent driver misoperation. Park and Reverse are two critical gears in the transmission system. Mistakes during shifting could cause the vehicle to lurch forward or backward, so for safety reasons, it's mandated that the driver must press the brake. 2. When pressing the brake, avoid pressing too lightly. Otherwise, the brake pedal sensor may not detect that the driver has pressed the brake, and the gear will not be released. Additionally, the vehicle may not achieve optimal braking performance.
When I first learned to drive, I made this mistake: while driving an automatic transmission car, there's no need to specifically step on the brake pedal to shift gears unless you intend to come to a complete stop or shift into Park (P). Most of the time, the car automatically shifts gears when in Drive (D). You just need to control the accelerator and steering wheel, as the system adjusts the gears based on speed and throttle input without any need to press the brake. If you encounter a hill climb or want better fuel efficiency, switching to Low (L) or Sport (S) mode is done by simply moving the gear lever—no brake intervention required. Once, in a flustered moment, I mistakenly thought I needed to brake to shift, nearly running a red light. My instructor said this only increases danger. Now I understand that automatics are designed to simplify operation—keeping your eyes on the road is paramount. Regular maintenance checks of the gearshift mechanism during transmission servicing can extend its lifespan.
