Why shouldn't you press the clutch in an S-curve?

[KatherineMarie]

You shouldn't press the clutch when turning because it will increase the vehicle's speed. Pressing the clutch separates the engine from the transmission system, which is equivalent to shifting into neutral. The function of the clutch: The clutch, as the name suggests, serves to separate and connect. How the clutch works: The driving part and the driven part of the clutch transmit torque through friction between contact surfaces, or use liquid as a transmission medium (hydraulic coupling), or use magnetic transmission (electromagnetic clutch), allowing temporary separation and gradual engagement, while permitting mutual rotation between the two parts during transmission.

[LeRhett]

I've been teaching driving for over twenty years and always emphasize to my students never to depress the clutch in S-curves. The main issue is that exam rules strictly prohibit coasting in neutral - pressing the clutch for more than five seconds is directly judged as neutral gear, resulting in immediate failure. There's also a safety factor: the car needs stable power in curves. Depressing the clutch cuts off traction, making the car like a wild horse prone to uncontrolled acceleration. If the steering can't keep up, you'll cross the line. The steering wheel becoming heavier is another problem. Remember to keep your left foot maintaining the half-clutch position without releasing, gently rest your right foot on the brake to control speed, and slowly turn the wheel while focusing on reference points - this ensures smooth cornering. Developing muscle memory through regular practice is most important. The key to improving S-curve pass rates at our test site was breaking the habit of depressing the clutch.

[ValeriaDella]

After driving for over a decade, I've realized that pressing the clutch in S-curves is pure self-torture. When the car's power suddenly cuts off, the steering wheel becomes extremely heavy, requiring intense wrist effort to turn. A glance in the rearview mirror shows the wheels dangerously close to crossing the line, sending your heart racing. Especially on wet roads after rain, pressing the clutch makes the rear wheels lose stable traction, potentially causing sudden fishtailing. Novices often worry about excessive speed, but in reality, using the semi-engaged clutch with brakes can perfectly control speed—only when the throttle and clutch work together do you get engine braking effects. Don't make the exam mistake either: the system detects prolonged clutch use and fails you instantly. My cousin failed his test last time precisely because of this during our practice session.

[JaceMarie]

Last time during my driving test for Subject 2, I pressed the clutch in the S-curve and the system immediately reported a failure. The examiner explained that pressing the clutch for more than three seconds would result in a penalty because coasting in neutral is considered too dangerous. Losing power during a turn is especially frightening as the steering suddenly becomes heavier. Later, my instructor taught me: keep your left foot steady at the half-clutch position without moving, lightly press the brake with your right foot to maintain a stable speed of around 5 km/h while steering. The key is to feel the vehicle's condition with your body and adjust the steering according to the speed. Looking back now, maintaining steady half-clutch engagement leads to higher success rates—never take the easy way out by pressing the clutch all the way down.

[McJulia]

The dynamics principle during vehicle turning is crucial. When the clutch is depressed, causing power interruption, the engine no longer provides traction, resulting in an instantaneous increase of approximately 40% in front-wheel steering resistance, making the steering wheel unusually heavy. Simultaneously, the rear wheels lose power traction, making them prone to lateral skidding under centrifugal force. Especially on sharp bends, inertia can push the car outward, requiring abrupt steering corrections that often lead to crossing lane markings. Test data from training grounds show that depressing the clutch while turning results in a lane-crossing rate as high as 75%. The correct approach is to maintain a semi-engaged clutch state, allowing the engine to continuously provide moderate torque, combined with precise braking to control the turning trajectory.

[DelAnderson]

When I was learning to drive, the instructor yelled at me: 'Don't touch the clutch in S-turns!' In practice, I found that after pressing the clutch, the car would suddenly lurch forward. Originally, I could control the speed by pressing the clutch, but once the power was cut off, even the brakes couldn't control it. Once, I almost hit the training field's isolation curb, which scared me into a cold sweat. An experienced driver explained the principle to me: after the clutch is disengaged, the drive shaft stops rotating, and the wheels lose the engine's traction, relying solely on inertia to coast. In the varying curves of an S-turn, this uncontrollable sliding is particularly prone to deviating from the path. Now, when taking curves, I keep the clutch in a semi-engaged state, with my right foot lightly touching the brake. If I feel the speed is too fast, I gently press the brake and smoothly turn the steering wheel according to the curve's arc. I haven't crossed the line since then.