Should You Shift Gear or Release the Handbrake First When Starting an Automatic Transmission Car?

[Ronnie]

When starting an automatic transmission car, you should shift gear first and then release the handbrake, primarily for safety reasons. In practice, releasing the handbrake before shifting gear makes no difference to the starting process and has no impact—the car won't fail to start just because the handbrake was released first. The reason for this sequence is to ensure the vehicle doesn't move and to avoid unnecessary trouble. The safe way to start is: press the foot brake, shift to D gear, release the handbrake, then release the foot brake, and finally press the accelerator to start. For automatic transmission models equipped with an electronic handbrake, most vehicles will automatically release the electronic handbrake when the doors are closed, seat belts are fastened, and the accelerator is lightly pressed while the engine is idling. For manual transmission models with an electronic handbrake, the system will also automatically release the electronic handbrake during startup based on the coordination between the accelerator and clutch.