Driving an automatic vehicle
Vehicles with automatic or semi-automatic transmission have no clutch pedal. The transmission senses and selects the best gear for the road speed and load on the engine. This makes the physical job of driving much easier and allows you more time to concentrate on the road ahead.
Automatic transmission usually changes to a higher gear as the road speed increases and to a lower gear as it falls. It will also change down to a lower gear going uphill as the load on the engine increases.
There are times – for example, when going down a steep hill – when you need to stay in a low gear, even if the engine load is light. The transmission often tries to change to a higher gear in these situations. However, the driver is usually able to override the transmission by using the gear selector to stay in a suitable lower gear.
Note - electric vehicles are also automatics but they use different technology and behave in a different way to traditional automatics. You can find out more on our driving electric vehicles page.
Driving a vehicle with automatic transmission
Most automatics have a cut-out switch to prevent you from starting the engine while the vehicle is in gear, however always check that the selector is in the ‘P’ (Park) or ‘N’ (Neutral) position and the parking brake is fully applied before switching on the ignition.
Use the gear selector to choose between
- 'D' to drive forwards
- 'R' to reverse
- 'N' for neutral
- 'P' for park.
Some vehicles have additional gear selector options. Make sure you understand what they do and when to use them.
Controlled use of the accelerator
Controlled use of the accelerator is essential when driving an automatic, as it has such a direct effect when the selector is in any position other than ‘P’ or ‘N’.
Avoid heavy acceleration; it can
- cause the vehicle to surge forward (or backwards) out of control
- delay upward gear changes
- waste fuel and increase exhaust emissions.
