Underuse of brakes 5463

Try and stop over focusing on 'dangerous'. You take this as the car instantly skidding off the road, as soon as the hand is removed from the steering wheel!

In general terms yes - stay in the gear you were cruising at when you are slowing. You do NOT know at what point you will stop slowing (the situation may change while slowing), so you do not know what speed you will be going at. If you don't know what speed you will be going at, how do you know what gear you will require?

Changing down through the gears will mean removing your hand from the steering wheel. I think you must agree, it would be better to keep both hands on the wheel while braking. Remember, we want to be ready for any emergency (they tend to happen rarely but lets always be ready with both hands on the wheel).

The mechnical sympathy has also been described. I think you must agree that it is more sympathetic to the vehicle not to change down while slowing, as each unnesessary gear change will cause wear and tear.

Also, there is a possibility of snatching a gear change. Can you agree that not changing down would remove the possibility of this happening and that this is desirable?

The main argument I have heard for changing down through the gears is to allow 'instant' acceleration if that is required. What is the possibility of requiring this instantaneous acceleration against the undesirable effects of changing down through the gears?

Also, a 'delay' has been mentioned when braking has been finished and a gear needs to be selected. What delay are you buttuming here - .5 of a second, 1 second? It is very easy to select a gear once the braking has been completed.

So to sum up. Roadcraft does not suggest you life will end by taking a hand off the steering wheel to change gears while slowing. However, I hope I have shown there are undesirable effects in doing this and it is less safe than keeping both hands on the wheel.

Other desirable effects of not changing gears while slowing are much smoother approaches to hazzards, a more comfortale ride for your pbuttengers, less chance of approaching hazzards too fast and many others. Have a look at Roadcraft!

-- MrBitsy