Performing an emergency stop in an automatic car doesn’t need to be difficult. During your driving lessons with Nayland Driving School, you will cover everything that you need to know to pull it off with ease.
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Many people know how to perform an emergency stop in a manual car, but are less clear on the process when it comes to an automatic. Whether you are making the switch from a manual vehicle or learning from scratch in an automatic, an emergency stop is one of the essential skills that you need to know if you are going to take to the road safely. Luckily for you though, the process isn’t too tricky at all!
Finding your way around the gearbox
Before you even think about performing an emergency stop, you will need to be fully familiar with the automatic gearbox. The options available for you are as follows:
- Park: this locks the transmission, stopping the car from rolling while stationary. If you are going to park or stop for a prolonged period of time (such as when you perform an emergency stop) you need to make sure that you apply the handbrake too.
- Reverse: this one is pretty obvious – it will allow the car to move backward.
- Neutral: this is the same as taking a manual car out of gear. It should not be selected while the car is moving (also known as coasting). However, it can be used when you are only stopping the car for a short period of time, such as in traffic.
- Drive: this allows the car to move forwards, and will select the most appropriate gear for your current level of speed, adjusting as you drive.
If all of the above seems a little bit daunting, don’t worry. Your instructor will ensure that you know your way around the automatic gearbox before you are anywhere close to performing an emergency stop. They’ll know when you are ready – so just follow their lead!
Performing an emergency stop
Now comes the exciting part: performing an emergency stop in an automatic car. Don’t worry, your instructor will demonstrate and explain the process as many times as you need before you begin, and will select a quiet area where you aren’t going to be disturbing other drivers.
To perform the emergency stop, all you need to do is all you need to do stop the car, apply the handbrake and then put the gear lever into park. All you have to remember are those three simple steps! You could be asked to perform an emergency stop during your driving test, so your instructor will ensure that you are able to do it successfully before the big day arrives.
Find out more today
If you want to find out more about learning to drive an automatic car, then please get in touch with the team at Nayland Driving School today. They will answer all of your questions and give you the information you need to go ahead and book your first lesson with total confidence.
