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Old 03-24-2019, 06:59 PM   #1
nate
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Forget Self-Driving Cars. Bring Back the Stick Shift.

Interesting Op-Ed in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/o...hift-cars.html
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Old 03-24-2019, 10:34 PM   #2
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I never bought the premise that a manual makes you safer by making it harder to eat or text while driving. People do it anyway.
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Old 03-24-2019, 11:40 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rumatt View Post
I never bought the premise that a manual makes you safer by making it harder to eat or text while driving. People do it anyway.
Manual transmissions are inherently dangerous

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...e-stick-shift/

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Originally Posted by an asshat of windbaggedness from an internet site known for quite the assortment of asshats of windbaggedness
Driver distraction is one of the major causes of vehicle accidents. According to a 2001 national survey conducted by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), roughly 25% of all fatal automobile accidents are caused by driver inattention. Although this research didn't examine the role of the manual transmission, its potential risks are patently obvious. Operating a manual transmission is an inherently difficult and dangerous procedure…
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Old 03-24-2019, 11:50 PM   #4
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I think that a manual transmission forces a minimum level of attention and requires a greater awareness of what the car is doing.

Does this make a huge difference? Probably not. But, I do think that people who can drive a stick learn a lot about how a car operates that does actually benefit them when driving an automatic.
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Old 03-25-2019, 08:41 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick M3 View Post
I think that a manual transmission forces a minimum level of attention and requires a greater awareness of what the car is doing.

Does this make a huge difference? Probably not. But, I do think that people who can drive a stick learn a lot about how a car operates that does actually benefit them when driving an automatic.
This.

It makes a small difference. You are aware of what gear you're in (and hence normal speed range, not talking about track extremes here) in town. You are aurally connected as well. I definitely feel more disconnected in Automatic or PDK cars and C swears she would be more likely to rear end folks in a traditional auto (where the default is to creep up).
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Old 03-25-2019, 08:52 AM   #6
nate
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clyde View Post
Manual transmissions are inherently dangerous

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...e-stick-shift/
Worst take ever written.
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Old 03-25-2019, 09:12 AM   #7
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Worst take ever written.
Few written things as meaningless as this have stuck with me for more than a minute. This still refuses to leave nearly 15 years later.

Not quite at the same level, but I recall a comparable bimmerfest post about windshield wipers suggesting that anyone without automatic windshield wipers were jeopardizing the lives of everyone else because they would have to take a hand off a steering wheel to change the wiper speed while raining.

(Pretty sure I know who wrote it, but I can't find the post and could be wrong about it being that person and/or what they said, so I won't besmirch their name despite that person not having joined here.)
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Old 03-25-2019, 09:18 AM   #8
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Old 03-25-2019, 09:47 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clyde View Post
Few written things as meaningless as this have stuck with me for more than a minute. This still refuses to leave nearly 15 years later.

Not quite at the same level, but I recall a comparable bimmerfest post about windshield wipers suggesting that anyone without automatic windshield wipers were jeopardizing the lives of everyone else because they would have to take a hand off a steering wheel to change the wiper speed while raining.

(Pretty sure I know who wrote it, but I can't find the post and could be wrong about it being that person and/or what they said, so I won't besmirch their name despite that person not having joined here.)
Oh, christ. I remember that post.
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Old 03-25-2019, 10:24 AM   #10
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Of course the result is mentally lazier people (like they needed a reason to become lazier). This is old news. And there's nothing we can do about it, because we're on a inevitable path that sees us removing the human from the drivers seat. Just give up now and accept it.
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