Should You Press the Brake Directly in a Manual Transmission Car?
1 Answers
The clutch is used for shifting gears, while the brake is for slowing down. When to press the clutch mainly depends on the vehicle speed. Below is relevant information: First scenario: Pressing the brake pedal engages both the braking system and the deceleration system. When the engine speed reaches idle, you should press the clutch to downshift. The purpose of this is to prevent the engine from stalling. Pressing the clutch separates the engine from the transmission system, equivalent to coasting in neutral. The car slows down by inertia, which is very slow and cannot achieve rapid deceleration at high speeds. Second scenario: If the vehicle speed is slow, such as in 1st or 2nd gear, you can directly press the clutch for braking without any issues. Third scenario: There are also situations, such as approaching a traffic light intersection or when the brake lights of the car ahead come on, where simply easing off the accelerator can slow the car down. If it is determined to be safe to continue driving forward, neither the brake nor the clutch needs to be pressed.