Should You Press the Brake or the Clutch First When Parking?
2 Answers
When parking, you should first press the brake to reduce the car's speed until it is about to stop, and then press the clutch. Pressing the clutch when stopping the car is equivalent to cutting off the power. At this time, the brake will act on the tires without affecting the engine operation, so it will not cause the engine to stall. If you only press the brake without pressing the clutch, the car's tires will be forced to stop rotating, and the engine will also receive resistance, leading to engine stalling. The brake, also known as the braking system, refers to the action of stopping or reducing the speed of running locomotives, vehicles, other transportation tools, or machinery.
As a veteran driver with ten years of manual transmission experience, here's my advice: the smoothest way is to press both the clutch and brake when slowing down below 30 km/h. Think about it - if you press the clutch first at high speed, the car loses engine braking, which actually increases stopping distance, especially noticeable when going downhill. But you must press the clutch just before coming to a complete stop, otherwise the engine will stall embarrassingly. I've seen too many beginners stall with a loud clunk by pressing the clutch too late, which isn't good for the transmission either. Ultimately, safety comes first - anticipating road conditions and slowing down gradually is the golden rule.
