Should an automatic transmission car be shifted to neutral at a red light?
4 Answers
Whether an automatic transmission car should be shifted to neutral at a red light depends on the duration of the stop: 1. For short stops, simply hold the brake while in drive (D) gear; 2. For longer stops on flat roads, shift to neutral (N) and engage the parking brake. Automatic transmissions eliminate the need for manual gear shifting, as the vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on speed and traffic conditions. The gears in an automatic transmission are: 1. P (Parking/Start); 2. R (Reverse); 3. N (Neutral); 4. D (Drive); 5. L (Low); 6. S (Sport mode); 7. OD (Overdrive).
I've been driving for over a decade and have developed my own habits regarding whether to shift to neutral at red lights. For short red lights, I usually just keep my foot on the brake while in D gear, which allows me to accelerate immediately when the light turns green—super convenient. If it's a long red light lasting more than a minute, I'll shift to N gear and engage the handbrake to give my foot a rest. Some people say keeping the car in D gear while braking harms the transmission, but modern automatic transmissions have torque converters for protection, so short durations are perfectly fine. What's more practical is the auto start-stop feature: a firm press on the brake stops the engine, saving fuel and reducing emissions, and a light tap on the accelerator instantly restarts it when the light turns green. This feature makes shifting to neutral seem unnecessary.
As a commuter who often drives in the city, whether to shift to neutral at red lights depends entirely on my mood. During rush hour when encountering red lights lasting dozens of seconds, I just stay in D gear with my foot on the brake while playing with my phone - the slight vibration of the car actually gives me a sense of comfort. On weekends when taking family outings, I'll shift to N gear and pull the handbrake for long 90-second red lights to give my right foot a rest. Here's a little-known fact: when waiting at red lights with AC on in D gear, the fuel consumption is only slightly higher than in N gear - the difference amounts to just a few cents per 100 kilometers. What's more likely to cause premature wear to the transmission system is repeatedly switching between gears.
Whether to shift to neutral at a red light depends on the duration. For short red lights under 10 seconds, there's no need to shift gears - frequent gear changes actually increase wear. For red lights exceeding 40 seconds, it's recommended to shift to N (neutral), but don't forget to engage the handbrake, especially on slopes. I remember once forgetting the handbrake - my car slowly rolled backward in neutral and almost hit the vehicle behind. Nowadays, most new cars come with auto-hold function; just press the button to free your feet, which is much more convenient than manual shifting. With this feature becoming standard, fewer people manually shift to neutral these days.
