Before you buy your teen their first car.

Couldn't agree more. My first car was MT, and while I was frustrated at first, I learned to love driving stick and definitely think it shaped me into a safe driver

 

Any links?

I doubt this. Having a new driver do more things while their supposed to be watching the road can't improve safety. You say shifting and clutching "enhances attention", attention on what? The shifting or the road? Most first time driver I know of don't steer well, brake well or corner well, how does adding more to the mix improve their abilities? I think your information was written by someone with a bias towards manual transmissions.

 

I believe it. The first time I truly learned to drive a manual tranny, I noticed at how much more focused I was on driving.

 

Maybe the kids driving manual cars have more training and more "seat time" from the get go...

I doubt the thesis that they are more "involved' other than maybe the manual forces them to pay a bit more attention to what's up ahead, and in doing so, maybe they see things that they would otherwise not see and get into trouble...

The real dividing point in young drivers (my son is 16 and is now has been driving for real for 8 months) is seat time and "coaching time". That is them doing the driving with an experienced person in the right seat and teaching them a lot more than they get from drivers ed. For a while when my son had his "learners permit" there were a lot times when my wife was in a hurry, traffic was heavy, and she didn't let him drive as much. For the last few months before he got his license I put my foot down and decreed that "Jay drives everywhere". Any time he was in the car he drove. His driving improved markedly over that time. Even my wife admitted that we should have done that a lot sooner...

It is a hassle and it is irrating, but you are ingrainging habits in his driving that will last a lifetime, and if you spend the time teaching them, it will pay off in the long run for sure.

A second thing is if you have a young driver, look into the BMWCCA/SCCA "Street Survival" program that has been started by the Tire Rack. The web site is here.

http://www.streetsurvival.org/

This program teaches the kids in THEIR CAR and it is a really great program. I took my son to the one at the Tire Rack facility in South Bend and it was excellent. It taught them to really use the brakes and handling of the car to "steer clear" of accidents and it got them much more aware of their surroundings and gave them a much better idea of the capabilities of their car. They are having these schools all across the country and it is really an excellent program for any young driver. Again, if you have a kid that is just starting to drive, this is an excellent school that is geared to the "low time" driver.

 

Cool.

 

I like Parkerfe's idea of sending them to some sort of high performance driving school. When it comes time for the 8 yr old to get her license, I plan to put the time in to help make her a more "active" and alert driver. Now, the other problem is getting her to be enthused about cars at her age. I would prefer to learn her some driving on stick, I too believe it can lead to better driving. "Head and shoulders and heel and toe, heel and toe...all go rev matching"

 

My first car was a manual......and now I have finally beaten Casey Putsch in a race.

There's your proof.

Seriously though......I believe what Frank is saying.

 

That's the best grouping you can post? OK thanks.

 

Do you understand what you just stated? God himself was outqualified and lapped by Putsch. The Almighty's son, Jebus that day vowed to avenge his father's defeat. Jebus was sent away and trained in Japanese formula 3 and came back on the seventh day...and lost to Putsch at a rainsoaked Nurburgring. Although Jebus could walk on water, he aquaplaned going through the Karoussel. True story, I was there. And so was Noah and his wooden F50 GT1.

 

Dang...you're letting you 8 year old get a license.....

 

How about an F1 tranny in a Ferrari?
That should keep 'em focused!

 

+1

I firmly believe that this country's accidents are caused by boredom while driving. I'm tempted to read a magazine half the time I drive a normal car.

 

Maybe apart from the concentration issue to drive a manual you have to have more than a slight clue about vehicular control to operate the stick extra pedal brake etc, so by definition the bar to be a manual driver is somewhat higher. Also manual cars tend to be smaller more manuaverable types, Autos can most likely be old suv's therefore the odds of getting in an accident in a old ford explorer for a new driver are probably higher than that of a manual honda accord.

Also if you drive a manual it may well maean you are more into cars by choice and enjoy driving, possibly the pool of manual drivers is just therefore on average better. But yes the process probably keeps the driver more engaged as well. That is why a floppy paddle may perform 0-60 better than a manual but is nowhere near as entertaining. Yet Frank himself wants the mitsubishi with the floppy. Oh well if ya gotta drive in traffic compromises will be made.

Got a 12 year old, she will definatly be going to the BMW driving school, and will not have an auto.

 

Noah in his latest ark....
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This makes complete sense to me. Driving a stickshift, especially when you're new to it, forces you to pay close attention to the engine's rpm, what gear you're in, how much gas you're giving it, etc. It turns the experience into something that requires a little more attention that a "go" pedal and a wheel. If nothing else, it makes accidental speeding, or going too fast into a turn far more unlikely.

 

Yes, the stickshift is good, but you can advise what car i can buy on the stick? 99 % of modern cars on the automatic. My 3 senior comrades were bought to children cars - mercedes ML500, Cayenne S, continental GT. Any of these models is not issued with a manual box. Is any 4wheel drive cars on stick? I don't think so.

 

Aren't at least all European cars offered with stick in the US? Over here, automatic is about as popular as sticks in the US, so most of the model range of European should be available with stick...

 

LOL I remember trying to get her to drive around a Lotus Elise in GTR2 on the pc...after coaching her on the finer points of braking points and late apexing, she stormed out of the office crying to her mum! Maybe she was upset that she couldn't sample a Ferrari instead?

 

Iam going to say Bullsh!t on this one because most of my family members have drivin automatic most of their lives and have never caused any car accidents in fact the only one in our family who had any serious charges on his rap sheet was my uncle and had many diffrent Manual transmission sportscars including a Maserti, Corvette's and a Viper.