What is the correct way to wait at a red light with an automatic transmission?

1 Answers
McLeo
07/29/25 3:39pm
Correct method for waiting at a red light with automatic transmission: If the red light lasts about 10 seconds, you can stay in D gear and step on the brake, then drive directly when the light turns green; if the red light lasts longer than half a minute, it is recommended to shift to N gear, because D gear is the forward gear and always has power output, while N gear is neutral and does not wear the transmission. Do not use P gear when waiting at a red light. If P gear is used and the vehicle behind rear-ends your car, the transmission may be damaged. The difference between P gear and N gear is that P gear has a locking mechanism, while N gear does not. After shifting to P gear, the locking mechanism locks the gears of the transmission, which is equivalent to indirectly locking the wheels. The car will not move even if the handbrake is not applied. After shifting to N gear, there is no locking mechanism to lock the transmission gears. If the handbrake is not applied at this time, the car may roll.
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