Should You Press the Clutch When Decelerating in Driving Test Phase 3?
2 Answers
Decelerating with the clutch depends on the vehicle speed. If the car is in 3rd gear or higher and moving at a relatively high speed, the student driver does not need to press the clutch. Instead, they can use the "pump braking" method—lightly pressing and releasing the brake pedal repeatedly. However, if the speed has significantly decreased to 2nd or 1st gear and the engine starts to struggle, pressing the brake without the clutch may stall the engine. In such cases, both the brake and clutch should be pressed simultaneously. The correct method for decelerating in Phase 3 is as follows: 1. On flat roads with light traffic, when the speed is above 30km/h and only brief braking is needed, gently tap the brake pedal without pressing the clutch. 2. When passing bus stops, school zones, waiting at traffic lights, in traffic jams, or coming to a complete stop, shift to a lower gear and press both the clutch and brake pedals.
During the third driving test practice, you must press the clutch when decelerating. My instructor kept reminding me of this when I was learning to drive. For manual transmission cars, when the speed slows down, especially below 20 km/h or when coming to a stop, the engine will stall if the power and wheels are not matched, and stalling during the test results in heavy penalties. Once during practice, I didn’t press the clutch, and the car jerked to a stop, almost causing a minor issue. Now, I’ve developed the habit of pressing the clutch along with the brake when decelerating, making the action smooth and preventing stalling risks. In scenarios like intersections and school zones during the third test, controlling deceleration is key. The instructor also taught me to adjust following distance accordingly. Practicing more helps build muscle memory, making daily driving smoother after passing the test. This method is safe and reliable, reducing the risk of rear-end collisions, and is definitely worth keeping in mind.
