What gear should you use when waiting at a traffic light?
3 Answers
When waiting at a traffic light, an automatic transmission car should be put in N (Neutral) gear; a manual transmission car should be in neutral gear. Depending on the type of vehicle, car gears are divided into automatic and manual transmissions. Gear shifting refers to the transmission, which is used to change the torque and speed of the engine crankshaft to meet the different requirements of driving force and speed for the driving wheels under various road conditions, such as starting, accelerating, driving, and overcoming obstacles. Automatic transmission gears include: P (Park) gear for parking and starting; R (Reverse) gear for reversing; N (Neutral) gear; D (Drive) gear for forward movement, also known as the driving gear; S (Sport) mode; and L (Low) gear for low-speed driving. Manual transmission gears include: first gear, second gear, third gear, fourth gear, fifth gear, and reverse gear.
I've been driving automatic transmission cars for over a decade, and I always shift to N gear and pull the handbrake when waiting at red lights for more than 15 seconds. Experienced drivers know that keeping it in D gear while braking makes the transmission oil temperature rise rapidly, especially noticeable in summer when the radiator starts humming loudly. Once I got stuck in downtown traffic for half an hour without shifting gears, and my fuel consumption increased by 1.5 liters. While newer models with electronic parking brakes and auto-hold features are indeed convenient, it's still more reliable to manually operate older vehicles – don't be lazy to save those few seconds of operation. Remember to press the brake before shifting back to D gear; this sequence won't fail you and won't accidentally activate the reversing camera.
During the driving test, the instructor repeatedly emphasized safety first, stating that keeping the foot firmly on the brake and staying in D gear at a red light is the safest approach. This allows for immediate acceleration to avoid emergencies, like the time when a car behind me started rolling downhill and almost rear-ended me—I just stepped on the gas and darted away. There's no need to shift gears for short stops, but for waits exceeding 60 seconds, shifting to P gear saves more fuel, as clearly shown by the instant fuel consumption on the dashboard. If the new car has an auto start-stop function, the engine will shut off automatically for greater convenience, but remember to turn off the AC beforehand to prevent it from restarting immediately.
