Should You Shift to Neutral When Stalling on a Slope?
3 Answers
When a car stalls on a slope, it is necessary to shift the gear to neutral and then restart the engine. Here are some remedial measures for stalling on a slope: 1. When the vehicle stalls, immediately apply the emergency brake to prevent rolling back, then shift to neutral and engage the handbrake. 2. Quickly calm down, pause for a few seconds, and think about the sequence of operations for restarting. 3. When the car body starts to shake violently, hold the clutch steady and do not move it, then slowly release the brake. If the car starts to move forward, do not lift the clutch further; if the car remains stationary, lift the clutch a bit more until the car starts to move forward.
I've been driving for decades, and stalling on a slope is a common occurrence. I immediately shift to neutral and restart the engine. If you don't shift to neutral, the engine will turn with the gear engaged when starting, causing the car to suddenly lurch forward or backward, which is particularly dangerous on a slope and can lead to accidents due to rolling. First, firmly press the brake to stabilize the car, shift to neutral to let the engine idle, and then restart the ignition. This method is simple and safe. New drivers shouldn’t panic when this happens; developing this habit can prevent more trouble. Practice hill-start techniques more often to reduce the risk of stalling.
When I first started driving, I kept stalling on hills and was terrified. But later I learned to quickly shift to neutral after stalling. Starting the car without shifting to neutral might cause a sudden jerk or even rollback, which is worse on slopes. Now I've developed the habit of firmly pressing the brake, shifting to neutral, and then restarting the engine - the whole process goes smoothly. Safety always comes first; this method can prevent rear-end collisions especially when there's a car following too closely. I recommend everyone to practice more with their cars to get familiar with gear shifting.
