Should You Shift to Neutral at Traffic Lights?
2 Answers
Shifting to neutral at a red light is unnecessary; the decision should be based on the waiting time. Here are some guidelines for waiting at red lights: 1. For waits under 30 seconds, it's recommended to stay in Drive (D) and hold the brake. 2. Since the duration is short, shifting gears back and forth is more cumbersome and saves little fuel, while frequent gear changes increase wear on the clutch and transmission. 3. For waits between 30 seconds and one minute, shift to Neutral (N) and engage the handbrake. This allows you to release your right foot for a rest, disconnects power transmission, reduces engine load and fuel consumption, and remains equally safe.
When I first started learning to drive, I was really torn about whether to shift to neutral at red lights, thinking putting it in N gear would protect the transmission from overworking. But my instructor scolded me, saying short red lights of around ten seconds don't require shifting at all—just stay in D gear and hold the brake; it's simpler and easier. Shifting to N gear actually increases the risk of forgetting to engage the handbrake and rolling, or scrambling when the light turns green. Only consider shifting to neutral for longer waits, like over half a minute—it saves a bit of fuel without harming the car. That's my habit now: for short city stops, stay steady in D gear; for long waits, shift to N for a breather.
