Should You Press the Brake When Shifting Gears?

[SanAliyah]

Whether you need to press the brake when shifting gears in an automatic transmission depends on the situation. Scenarios where you should press the brake: When shifting between P (Park), R (Reverse), and D (Drive), it is advisable to press the brake. This is primarily for safety reasons. If the car is moving in D (Drive), you must press the brake and wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before shifting into R (Reverse). Otherwise, unexpected incidents may occur. When shifting from P (Park) to a forward gear, pressing the brake prevents the car from suddenly lurching forward, which could lead to loss of control. Most automatic transmissions have a shift-lock feature that requires you to press the brake when shifting from P (Park) to other gears. Forcing the shift without pressing the brake may damage the transmission. Scenarios where you don't need to press the brake: While driving, you don't need to press the brake when shifting between forward gears, such as D (Drive), S (Sport), and L (Low). Simply move the gear lever to shift. For automatic cars with manual mode, shifting up or down also doesn't require pressing the brake.