take
Yes, definitely.
OK, so this can be reduced to absurd levels, but that's missing the point. At a certain level you cease to think about your actions, for instance having taken the decision to change gear you wouldn't need to go through the same process of thought as a learner would, deliberately thinking about depressing the clutch and ease off on the accelerator in a coordinated manner, etc, though it can be sometimes useful to pay a little attention to the action to see if it can be improved, or in honing that constant-rev change, slowing your whole gear change down for smoothness, etc.
However, there shoudl be concious thought to determine which the correct gear is for the speed, conditions, surrounding-approaching hazards, intended manouvre, etc, and then if you like your automatic mechanical memory can be put into action to effect the change.
Same for braking - if you're driving "on autopilot" then you're unlikely to be observing properly before braking - perhaps unaware of conditions behind you etc. Can't be a good thing. Again, what you don't need to do is go through the learner concious thought process of lifting off the accelerator, moving foot across to brake pedal, depressing to certain pressure so the car & contents don't come to a jerking halt, but you should have had some concious involvement in the decision to lose some speed.
-- Richard Sampson
mail me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
