The death of the manual is a self proclaimed prophecy

[94stealthr/t]

I think the idea is that when you drive a manual you have to do more stuff which limits your ability to multitask. It is much harder to have someting in both hands and drive a manual. Meanwhile we have brilliant atx drivers with a cup of coffee in one hand and a breakfast sandwhich in the other while they drive.

I don't know that everyone in manuals would make a dent in the number of accidents but it would dramatically change the way bumper to bumper traffic works. No more dragging the brake during idle speed crawling.

Pretty much this, it's hard to text while having to constant up and down shift. Plus I personally think people who drive sticks drive better and safer.

[donniekak]

based on what? i'd bet there'd be more. people REFUSE to put down their smartphones, regardless.

Driving a manual forces you to pay some amount of attention to what you do, especially in traffic.

[nodoze]

Pfft I learned how to text and drive on a manual back.I. the day on a Kyocera , lot easier to text on an old phone, I could do it without even looking at the phone

Sent from my HTC Hero S using Tapatalk 2

[IPD]

Driving a manual forces you to pay some amount of attention to what you do, especially in traffic.

you might as well argue that automatic pilot, hydraulic landing gear, glass cockpits, bitchin-betty, etc...are all a bad idea, because don't "force the pilot to pay some amount of attention to what he's doing".

i don't buy that logic. an idiot at the controls is an idiot at the controls. hell, you could also make the argument that computers are "less safe" now than they were 10 years ago. the problem is a pebkac error; the idiot who thinks he can get 5 million dollars from nigeria & a larger penis to boot.

[94stealthr/t]

I think someone's offended because they drive an automatic

[IPD]

I think someone's offended because they drive an automatic

you're damn right i am. i'm just as offended as a gun owner who is being told that guns are responsible for homicides--not the individual who wields them.

[95gto]

you might as well argue that automatic pilot, hydraulic landing gear, glass cockpits, bitchin-betty, etc...are all a bad idea, because don't "force the pilot to pay some amount of attention to what he's doing".

i don't buy that logic. an idiot at the controls is an idiot at the controls. hell, you could also make the argument that computers are "less safe" now than they were 10 years ago. the problem is a pebkac error; the idiot who thinks he can get 5 million dollars from nigeria & a larger penis to boot.

I whole heartedly agree that the real problem is the moron at the controls but until this country decides to actually institute a true driver training requirement with regard to getting a driver's license we will be hopelessly plagued by morons at the controls.

However this doesn't address the fact that manual transmissions require more driver interaction than an automatic, and as such force the driver to pay more attention. It is an inescapable reality that even the best multitaskers can only do so much at once, and when you require an extra foot and hand to drive a car as well require the driver to monitor engine speed you limit that person's ability to do other stuff.

Will the manual transmission by mere presence prevent poor driving habits like improper braking, merging, lane changes, travel speed, following distance, etc; no it will not. It will however take a bite out of the bad driving habits associated with not paying attention to the car and the road.

As for GPS, I think those things are worthy of their own thread due to the issue they create. They are like giving calculators to elementary schools students rather than expecting them to learn basic arithmetic.

[Bloodlust182]

Totally agree that a manual forces you to focus more on the road than other things like texting, eating, etc. Whenever I drive the family suburban (auto) I find myself not paying as much attention to the road as I do when im driving my 5 speed. BTW levi my wheels are gold now, change your sig pic =p.

[BigTyla]

you might as well argue that automatic pilot, hydraulic landing gear, glass cockpits, bitchin-betty, etc...are all a bad idea, because don't "force the pilot to pay some amount of attention to what he's doing".

i don't buy that logic. an idiot at the controls is an idiot at the controls. hell, you could also make the argument that computers are "less safe" now than they were 10 years ago. the problem is a pebkac error; the idiot who thinks he can get 5 million dollars from nigeria & a larger penis to boot.

This is a terrible strawman argument. I don't think commercial airline pilots have to worry about bumper-to-bumper traffic and crossing intersections with any of these innovations.

John, I know what you mean. I'm absolutely in love with the new Fusion, but they don't offer a manual with the 2.0T AWD. That really torqued me!

I'm in a similar position that you're in. At the end of the day, I may just keep my current DD since it will fit my twins and any other future kids we decide to have comfortably. That will allow me to buy whatever the hell I want without worrying about how practical it is.

[95gto]

Totally agree that a manual forces you to focus more on the road than other things like texting, eating, etc. Whenever I drive the family suburban (auto) I find myself not paying as much attention to the road as I do when im driving my 5 speed. BTW levi my wheels are gold now, change your sig pic =p.

I don't have the motivation to change my car's color from white to silver and do the 99 conversion, what makes you think I have the motivation to update your car? Not to mention that your car is pre-3000gt panel change.

I guess I will need to get motivated and do a due a formal sig update.