Automatic cars.

snico · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:16 pm

joe-90 wrote:

Not USA,OZ NZ etc. What about Canada?

America yes, NZ and Australia pretty much 50 - 50, not sure about Canada. Probably more towards the auto with it being America Lite

Rest of the world more manual

joe-90 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:19 pm

I lived in Oz for years - not many manuals when I was there (but I had one).

noseall · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:20 pm

There will never be an occasion where a driver keeps both hands on the wheel when driving, regardless of auto transmission, hands free this, or steering column that.

You will always have an itch, or a sneeze or a pesky fly etc.

It also takes less time to return your hand to the wheel from the gearstick than it does to move your foot from the accelerator to the brake.

Auto boxes will not save lives.

I wonder how many deaths are attributed to auto boxes alone....?

joe-90 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:23 pm

Probably none.

crystal ball · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:27 pm

joe-90 wrote:

I lived in Oz for years - not many manuals when I was there (but I had one).

So did I and reckon it was about 50/50 then - early eighties.

NZ were still running round in Austin A40s and Riley Kestrels

I have only noticed a majority of Automatics in the USA and Canada. Asia, Africa and Europe seem to favour manual

noseall · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:33 pm

There will be no text book, instruction manual, driving association, law office, law enforcement body, political party, or otherwise that will insist you drive with two hands permanently on the wheel.

Why - because it will cause deaths.

Corgigrouch · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:41 pm

joe-90 wrote:

Ok then Driver 1 is driving down a road changing gear. A kid on a bike flies out in front of him from nowhere. Driver 1 has one hand on the wheel, one on the gear stick and a foot on the clutch.

Driver 2 drives down the same road and the same kid flies out in front of him.
Driver 2 has both hands on the wheel and no foot on the clutch.

Which driver is better placed to stop running the kid down?

Joe-90 kicks ass.

Joe, no one comes from nowhere.... They all come from somewhere... The kid on a bike will have come from a side road, driveway, footpath or other such place.... YOU as a driver are expected to note all possible hazards that you approach and should be looking for the unexpected. You should note parked cars and recognise that there may be the potential of a pedestrian to emerge from behind it and be ready, side junctions must be noted and their potential hazards.... you should be in the right gear to be able to deal with the unexpected should it happen and as such both of your hands will already be on the steering wheel..... Please give up driving now you are a hazard to yourself and other road users if you never remove your hands from the wheel.....How on earth do you turn corners?..... Learn to drive, Joe...Learn to drive

Joe.....Butt kicked....

joe-90 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:48 pm

Corgigrouch wrote:

joe-90 wrote:

Ok then Driver 1 is driving down a road changing gear. A kid on a bike flies out in front of him from nowhere. Driver 1 has one hand on the wheel, one on the gear stick and a foot on the clutch.

Driver 2 drives down the same road and the same kid flies out in front of him.
Driver 2 has both hands on the wheel and no foot on the clutch.

Which driver is better placed to stop running the kid down?

Joe-90 kicks ass.

Joe, no one comes from nowhere.... They all come from somewhere... The kid on a bike will have come from a side road, driveway, footpath or other such place.... YOU as a driver are expected to note all possible hazards that you approach and should be looking for the unexpected. You should note parked cars and recognise that there may be the potential of a pedestrian to emerge from behind it and be ready, side junctions must be noted and their potential hazards.... you should be in the right gear to be able to deal with the unexpected should it happen and as such both of your hands will already be on the steering wheel..... Please give up driving now you are a hazard to yourself and other road users if you never remove your hands from the wheel.....How on earth do you turn corners?..... Learn to drive, Joe...Learn to drive

Joe.....Butt kicked....

Don't be so bloody silly. When you've perfected X-ray vision then you can come on here boasting. Until that time STFU.

Corgigrouch · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:00 pm

But Joe, the advanced drivers manual requires that you are prepared for such events and that you drive at an appropriate speed to be able to deal with the unexpected..... It's not silly it is how you drive safely.....

joe-90 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:01 pm

Never had a crash in near on 40 years, - how about you?

crank39 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:18 pm

joe-90 wrote:

Never had a crash in near on 40 years, - how about you?

But how many years in a manual though?

Corgigrouch · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:21 pm

Loads when I was a kid... How else do you find the limits of your vehicle when you have no experience? Take your car onto a track and find out just what it can do it's a hoot.... But I am a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists have driven vehicles up to 80tonnes and used to have an ADR cert to carry nuclear materials, we used to contract to the MOD..

Never caused an explosion

Corgigrouch · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:23 pm

crank39 wrote:

joe-90 wrote:

Never had a crash in near on 40 years, - how about you?

But how many years in a manual though?

Joes been driving for 40 years but he is still driving home from the test centre....

snico · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:43 pm

I've been driving under 20 years and i'm a far better driver than he wishes to be

joe-90 · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:47 pm

crank39 wrote:

joe-90 wrote:

Never had a crash in near on 40 years, - how about you?

But how many years in a manual though?

All of them.