Should You Engage the Handbrake or Shift Gears First When Starting a Manual Transmission Car?
2 Answers
When starting a manual transmission car, you should shift gears first. The correct starting method is: 1. Turn on the ignition switch and start the engine; 2. Depress the clutch pedal, shift the gear lever into first gear, and release the handbrake; 3. Gradually release the clutch pedal while pressing the accelerator. A manual transmission car refers to a vehicle that uses a manual gear-shifting mechanical transmission to regulate speed. It requires manually moving the gear lever to change the gear meshing position inside the transmission, altering the gear ratio to achieve speed variation. The gears can be categorized as follows: 1. First gear is the starting gear, used for initiating the car's movement; 2. Second gear is the passing gear; 3. Third gear is the transition gear; 4. Fourth gear is the driving gear; 5. Fifth gear is the high-speed gear.
When I first learned to drive, my instructor kept nagging about this sequence: press the clutch, shift into first gear, release the handbrake, and then slowly lift the clutch while giving it gas. He said this prevents the car from rolling, especially when parked on a slope. If you release the handbrake before shifting into gear, the car might accidentally roll back, which is really dangerous. I made this mistake myself once—starting on a small slope, I forgot the sequence, released the handbrake, and the car immediately rolled backward, nearly hitting the car behind me. I panicked and slammed on the brakes to start over. Since then, I’ve always remembered this rule: shifting into gear prepares the engine to deliver power, while releasing the handbrake removes the brake. On flat roads, you might not notice much difference, but on slopes, it makes a huge impact. I recommend practicing hill starts a few more times to ingrain the habit—it’ll save you from trouble later.
