Should You Shift Gears or Engage the Handbrake First When Driving?

[StNoah]

When driving, the sequence of shifting gears and engaging the handbrake mainly involves the following two scenarios: 1. For manual transmission vehicles, you should shift gears first and then release the handbrake. This is to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward if parked on a slope. By shifting gears before releasing the handbrake, you can avoid the issue of the car rolling. 2. For automatic transmission vehicles, the order does not matter—whether you shift gears first or engage the handbrake first, as long as safety is ensured. Additional details: 1. Manual transmission vehicles use a manual gear-shifting mechanical transmission to adjust speed, meaning the driver must manually move the gear lever to change the gear engagement inside the transmission, altering the gear ratio to shift. 2. Automatic transmission vehicles do not require the driver to manually shift gears; the vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions.