Is It Harder To Drive A Manual Car In Traffic Than An Automatic?

Getting through traffic is stressful enough in an automatic car. When you factor in timing the clutch with changing gears as well, navigating it with a manual transmission might seem impossible. But when it comes to whether it's harder to drive a manual car in traffic than an automatic, the truth is it depends on your level of skill and experience.

As a teenager new to driving a manual, also known as a stick shift in the U.S., I was beyond scared the first time I got stuck in highway traffic. Easing off the clutch without killing the engine was hard for me under normal conditions. Now I was stuck in a nightmarish stop-and-go situation. If I timed it right, I was golden. If not, I'd have to start back up again, which happened a lot in the beginning. Sitting on a hill in city traffic was even worse, as I was terrified of rolling back when going from the clutch to the gas pedal.

But the more I did it, the more I learned how to get my timing right. I also learned how long I could stay in first or second gear without having to constantly work the clutch. I discovered that I could use the neutral gear, since the clutch isn't needed when neutral is engaged. It took some of the pressure off mentally, gave my left leg a rest, and helped me relax. I realized that if I couldn't master the timing, I would struggle every time.

Driving a manual in traffic was about much more than just learning how to harmonize the clutch with the gas pedal. I focused on the brake lights of the car two spots up from me. If that person stopped, I knew the driver in front of me would as well. So I would throw my car into neutral from first, which would slow me down and give enough space to roll, so I didn't have to hit my brakes.

I used the same technique when easing out of traffic approaching an amber light. I would gear down to slow down, cutting my speed to first gear, just at the point of a full stop. I wouldn't do this if I were the lead car, and I wouldn't perform a rolling stop. But if I were a few cars back, I could coast without braking and shift back up from first when the light turned green. This method of anticipating driver behavior and creating space was something I became good at.

Unfortunately, traffic wasn't always predictable. Sometimes it was impossible to get into a rhythm, and even when I did, it could break down quickly. This meant using the clutch and brakes in traffic more than I wanted, resulting in a more stressful environment. But in traffic like that, patience always paid off, and the goal was rarely to be first through. It was about getting where I needed to go safely.