Should You Press the Clutch or Brake First When Braking in a Manual Transmission Car?
3 Answers
In any situation when braking, the brake should always take priority. Sometimes the clutch can be pressed simultaneously, and sometimes the brake can be pressed slightly later, but the clutch should never be pressed before the brake. Several years ago, media conducted tests on emergency braking in manual transmission cars. Additional information is as follows: For beginners: Regardless of road conditions, always press the brake first and then the clutch to develop a habit. This helps cultivate emergency awareness in drivers. Let’s start with the simplest scenario—driving on a highway where the situation is not urgent and the car needs to be brought to a gradual stop. This is a situation every driver encounters daily. At this point, check the current speed. When the speed is relatively high, the driver can initially release the accelerator and press the brake without touching the clutch, waiting until the engine RPM drops to a point where downshifting is necessary. During high-speed driving: Especially when driving at speeds above 120 km/h, pressing the clutch before the brake can result in coasting in a high gear. Since the clutch does not contribute to deceleration in this state, it can also pose certain dangers. Therefore, when driving at high speeds, the method taught by driving instructors should not be applied. Instead, the driver should first press the brake to reduce speed and then press the clutch to achieve the deceleration goal.
In an emergency, you must step on the brake immediately. When driving at high speed, directly applying the brake can fully utilize the engine's resistance to decelerate, reducing the braking distance by approximately 12% compared to pressing the clutch and relying solely on the brake pads. Depress the clutch to prevent stalling when the speed drops to around 30km/h. Once on the highway, the car in front suddenly braked hard, and I avoided a rear-end collision using this technique.
I usually drive a manual transmission, and when slowing down normally, I lightly apply the brakes to gradually reduce speed. When the speed drops to about the right level, I gently press the clutch, which saves brake pads and allows for a smooth stop. Especially when overtaking or changing lanes on highways, be careful not to press the clutch too early, as the car may become unstable.
