Should I go into neutral while waiting at traffic lights?

[DOCG]

I passed my test a few months ago and my instructor taught me to always keep it in gear, his exact words were "always keep it in gear and be ready go". So far I have followed this whilst driving.

However I am concerned that this may put unnecessary wear on the clutch and/or clutch pedal.

What is best for the car? It is a fairly sporty coupe so the clutch is a fair bit heavier than the average car.

[_Neal_]

Handbrake and then neutral if you know you're going to be stationary for any length of time. The reasoning against being in gear, clutch down, holding the car on the brakes, is that if someone behind you hits you, you're more likely to be pushed across the junction and potentially into harm's way as your feet will/could come off the pedals.

Can't see you'll be adding a meaningful amount more wear to the clutch doing it the way your instructor taught, but you'll have a sore leg!

[Cliftonite]

In ye olden days holding down the clutch pedal would wear out the (then carbon-faced) clutch release bearing in next to no time!

Today, it is surely still the preserve of the learner/inexperienced/uninterested driver, though?

[lufbramatt]

Not going to do the release bearing or thrust bearings in the engine any good. Stick it in neutral.

I think it’s just one of those things instructors say to reduce the number of things for a learner to think about to get to a level to pass the test as quickly as possible.

[66mpg]

We do like a slogan or a little saying as an aide memoire in advanced driving. The appropriate one here is “whenever a pause becomes a wait”.

[CrutyRammers]

lufbramatt said:

Not going to do the release bearing or thrust bearings in the engine any good. Stick it in neutral.

I think it’s just one of those things instructors say to reduce the number of things for a learner to think about to get to a level to pass the test as quickly as possible.

Yes, and reduce the fluster factor when trying to get it in gear, handbrake off, pull away with inpatient people behind them.
OP, yes, you should. Unless you're at the front of the queue, there's plenty of time to get ready to pull away while waiting for the slowpokes in front. If it's still a bit of a panic to get it all done quickly, you can always keep it in gear if you're at the front, but put it in neutral if you're a few cars back, until you feel confident.

[Monkeylegend]

_Neal_ said:

Handbrake and then neutral if you know you're going to be stationary for any length of time. The reasoning against being in gear, clutch down, holding the car on the brakes, is that if someone behind you hits you, you're more likely to be pushed across the junction and potentially into harm's way as your feet will/could come off the pedals.

Can't see you'll be adding a meaningful amount more wear to the clutch doing it the way your instructor taught, but you'll have a sore leg!

In gear with the handbrake on solves this problem

[Super Sonic]

Yes, handbrake on, into neutral. The lights will go red+orange before they turn green, this is put in gear time, then handbrake off when light goes green. How long does it take to change from N to 1?

[Monkeylegend]

Reminds me of my youth sitting in the passenger seat of your mates car and surreptitiously moving the gear stick into neutral just as the lights are changing to yellow.

[nonsequitur]

I was taught by my father and latterly a driving instructor that if stopping for more than a few seconds it's always handbrake / neutral. I still follow this routine many decades on.

[Dogwatch]

DOCG said:

I.

What is best for the car? It is a fairly sporty coupe so the clutch is a fair bit heavier than the average car.

I don’t think that sitting for a long time with your foot pressed hard to the floor is good for either you or the car. For yourself what if you get distracted and lift your foot? Straight into the unfortunate in front.
I have heard this “Not in gear, not in control” mantra before - it has to be applied with common sense not blindly followed as Holy Writ. Especially when stationary!

[nd0000]

Stop start in most circumstances requires you to change into neutral so pretty much that's what you should do.

Clutch-gear-bite-handbrake-go doesn't take long once you've practiced it a few times.

Even easier with auto hold.

[LukeBrown66]

I always use handbrake and neutral I think the policy of sitting there on your brakes is not good practice, it can and will warp your brakes over extended times especially if you are hauling up from higher speeds to say a motorway exit lights.

Modern cars make it often trickyer with clever tech that keep the brakes on and release it automatically, but I think the policy still warrants use.

Not sure why neutral and handbrake is considered not policy now, maybe just pushing people into being ready and rushing, maybe also safer if someone rams you from behind

[standards]

From a driving course in the last century, IIRC.

At traffic lights controlling a junction the procedure was handbrake, gear lever to neutral. (Longer wait anticipated).

At pedestrian controlled lights ‘twas gear to gear, handbrake. (Shorter wait).

Edited by standards on Monday 6th December 22:44

[DOCG]

LukeBrown66 said:

I always use handbrake and neutral I think the policy of sitting there on your brakes is not good practice, it can and will warp your brakes over extended times especially if you are hauling up from higher speeds to say a motorway exit lights.

Modern cars make it often trickyer with clever tech that keep the brakes on and release it automatically, but I think the policy still warrants use.

Not sure why neutral and handbrake is considered not policy now, maybe just pushing people into being ready and rushing, maybe also safer if someone rams you from behind

I've never sat on the brakes, so far I have nearly always put the handbrake on but kept it in gear. I think this may be the way most people are taught these days.

My car is old enough that it doesn't have the modern auto-brakes and other nonsense to worry about.

However the arguments here for putting it into neutral seem pretty good, I don't know why it wouldn't be taught.

Edited by DOCG on Tuesday 7th December 16:21

[DOCG]

nd0000 said:

Stop start in most circumstances requires you to change into neutral so pretty much that's what you should do.

Clutch-gear-bite-handbrake-go doesn't take long once you've practiced it a few times.

Even easier with auto hold.

My car doesn't have stop start.

[Export56]

Driving tuition has changed since I passed, hence I let the kids get lessons rather than me teach as what I said was at odds to the instructor.
1. When stalled at a junction, I would get them to put it in neutral , restart the engine etc... new method is to leave in gear with the clutch depressed whilst starting. My sdaughter did the approved method and the car lurched into the main road on the starter as the clutch not fully depressed whilst I yelled and pulled at the handbrake.
2. Block changing, whereas I would change down to be in an appropriate gear, the new method is to pile up in fourth to a junction them ram it into first ... I just cannot sit and watch this, so I just left all the instruction up to the 'professionals'

[Pica-Pica]

Export56 said:

Driving tuition has changed since I passed, hence I let the kids get lessons rather than me teach as what I said was at odds to the instructor.
1. When stalled at a junction, I would get them to put it in neutral , restart the engine etc... new method is to leave in gear with the clutch depressed whilst starting. My sdaughter did the approved method and the car lurched into the main road on the starter as the clutch not fully depressed whilst I yelled and pulled at the handbrake.
2. Block changing, whereas I would change down to be in an appropriate gear, the new method is to pile up in fourth to a junction them ram it into first ... I just cannot sit and watch this, so I just left all the instruction up to the 'professionals'

Nothing at all wrong with block-changing, but I would only go down (or up) two gears. I think most would go down from 4 to 2 at a junction, unless it has a stop sign, then down from 4 to 1 would be fine, because you HAVE TO STOP.
I always left my manual in gear and always just depressed the clutch to start.

(Perhaps all an argument for re-training, and re-tests after 5 years? Where else would ‘continuous professional development’ not be used (stty firms aside) ?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Export56 said:

. new method is to leave in gear with the clutch depressed whilst starting.

In 1976 whilst learning I discovered why that is wrong! I tried to pull into traffic in third. I stalled, merely dipped the clutch, restarted & stalled again..because I was obviously still in third! I was trying to join some fast traffic & it was frightening. Ever since I have made sure it's neutral then gear every time! (Not that I am in the habit of stalling these days )

[DOCG]

Export56 said:

Driving tuition has changed since I passed, hence I let the kids get lessons rather than me teach as what I said was at odds to the instructor.
1. When stalled at a junction, I would get them to put it in neutral , restart the engine etc... new method is to leave in gear with the clutch depressed whilst starting. My sdaughter did the approved method and the car lurched into the main road on the starter as the clutch not fully depressed whilst I yelled and pulled at the handbrake.
2. Block changing, whereas I would change down to be in an appropriate gear, the new method is to pile up in fourth to a junction them ram it into first ... I just cannot sit and watch this, so I just left all the instruction up to the 'professionals'

I think on most newer cars there is not much risk associated with restarting a car in gear after stalling as the engine won't start without the clutch depressed. However I did have a bad experience when learning in which I attempted to restart the engine while in gear and not depressing the clutch properly.