Should You Shift to P or N Gear When Waiting at a Red Light with an Automatic Transmission?
2 Answers
When waiting at a red light with an automatic transmission car, you should shift to N gear, and if the wait is longer, you can also engage the handbrake. It's fine to leave the car in N gear for a short time while waiting at a red light, but leaving it in N gear for an extended period can damage the transmission. An automatic transmission eliminates the need for the driver to manually shift gears, as the vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. Typically, automatic transmission cars have six gear positions, arranged from top to bottom as follows: P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), S (Sport), and L (Low). Driving an automatic transmission car generally only requires using the P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), and D (Drive) gears to meet normal driving needs. However, in some special driving conditions, other functional gears may be necessary.
I've been driving for over a decade and think putting the car in P gear at red lights is quite risky. Because P gear locks the transmission, if another car rear-ends you, the entire impact force is transmitted to the transmission, which can easily damage components and lead to expensive repairs. I've seen a friend have this kind of accident, costing over ten thousand to fix. So, for short stops like at traffic lights, it's better to use N gear or simply stay in D gear with the brake pressed. N gear keeps the transmission free, reducing burden, and also minimizes vibrations and noise, making the ride smoother. Of course, if the red light is particularly long or you're getting out of the car, then P gear is appropriate. Developing good daily driving habits can save a lot of trouble.
