Should I engage the gear or release the handbrake first when starting the car?
2 Answers
When starting the car, you should engage the gear first. The reason for engaging the gear before releasing the handbrake is primarily for safety considerations. When starting, you may not know whether the ground is level. If it's on a slope and you release the handbrake first, the car will be in a neutral coasting state. At this point, the vehicle may roll in the direction of the slope without any braking, which can easily lead to a safety accident. However, if you engage the gear first and then release the handbrake, the car will receive a force from the engine idle when in first gear. This force can prevent the vehicle from rolling backward in neutral, effectively avoiding potential dangers.
I've been driving manual transmission cars for over a decade, and this is a great question! The starting sequence varies by situation: On flat roads, it's safest to first press the clutch and shift into 1st gear, then release the handbrake—this prevents the car from rolling back. For hill starts, you must press the brake, shift into gear first, and then release the handbrake; otherwise, rolling back is too dangerous. During my driving test, the instructor repeatedly emphasized that releasing the handbrake before shifting would cost points. Nowadays, driving automatic transmission cars is more convenient—just switch from P to D, and the electronic handbrake releases automatically. But veteran drivers recommend always checking the dashboard out of habit. If the handbrake light is on and you drive with it engaged, the tires could even start smoking!
