Should an automatic car be shifted to neutral when waiting at a traffic light?

[VanAlivia]

Automatic cars should be shifted to neutral when waiting at a traffic light. Shifting to neutral gear while waiting, combined with using the handbrake, is safer. Engaging N gear and applying the handbrake can save fuel to some extent, as the passive wheel in the torque converter of the transmission is in an idling state, which doesn't increase engine operation, thereby reducing fuel consumption. When using P gear to wait at a traffic light, shifting from P to D gear can easily cause a reversing phenomenon, which may affect the driving of the vehicle behind and, in severe cases, lead to a rear-end collision. When waiting at a traffic light in D gear with the foot brake applied, since the passive wheel in the torque converter between the engine and the transmission is fixed, a counterforce is generated and applied to the active wheel, increasing the load on the engine. This can be understood as hindering the engine's operation, causing the engine ECU to increase fuel injection, resulting in higher fuel consumption.