Should You Press the Clutch or Brake First When Turning?
4 Answers
You must press the brake first to reduce speed, while pressing the clutch ensures the car doesn't stall. For sharp turns, if the car shakes while braking, downshifting is necessary. Specific situations require specific operations—some intersections have gentle turns where third or fourth gear may suffice. Below are precautions for turning a car: 1. Adapt to the road: When turning, adjust the steering wheel according to the road's curvature and coordinate with driving speed, ensuring appropriate steering angle, timing, and timely correction. Never remove both hands from the steering wheel to avoid dangerous deviations. 2. Control intensity: Reduce speed when turning and avoid sudden steering to prevent excessive centrifugal force causing skidding. If the car skids, immediately release the accelerator, steer toward the side of the skid, and only resume normal steering after the car straightens its course.
I've been driving a taxi for over a decade, navigating city alleys every day, so this issue is all too familiar. The most crucial thing before turning is speed control: release the accelerator in advance, gently tap the brakes to slow down, and only depress the clutch to shift gears after reducing speed below 30 km/h. Never turn while holding the clutch down! Last year, a guy in our fleet was holding the clutch while turning on a wet road, and his rear wheels lost traction and slammed into the guardrail. Remember, wheels losing power in a curve is like ice skating—depressing the clutch too early is extremely dangerous. Only release the clutch and apply throttle after straightening the steering wheel. Now when teaching my son to drive, I emphasize this point—safety is far more important than looking cool.
When I was learning to drive, the instructor always yelled at me about turning operations: 'Brake! Brake first to slow down!' Practicing turns in the driving school yard, if I pressed the clutch before braking, I would definitely get scolded. The instructor said many beginners fear stalling, so they touch the clutch first, but if the speed isn't reduced, it's easy to lose control when entering the turn. Now, with five years of driving experience, my basic operation is: when I see a curve ahead, I ease off the accelerator early, gently apply the brake with my right foot to smoothly reduce speed, and only when the car feels stable do I prepare to press the clutch with my left foot to shift gears. Especially on rainy days, I always remind myself to brake earlier and more gently for every turn.
I also struggled with this when I first bought my car half a year ago. Once, I panicked on a sharp mountain curve, pressed the clutch too early, and the car lurched forward almost crossing the line. Later, an experienced driver taught me a mantra: 'Slow in, fast out, clutch and brake step by step.' Before entering the curve, check the rearview mirror, signal, lightly brake to reduce speed below 40, maintain steady speed while turning, only press the clutch to shift to second gear after smoothly steering, and steadily accelerate when exiting the curve. After practicing a few times, I found this method makes turns smooth and safe, and I no longer fumble at the curve's apex.
