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Forcing your kid to drive stick to prevent texting while driving (1 Viewer)

Do you think it's a good idea to force your kids to drive a stick?

  • Yes, as I think it will help cut down on texting and driving

    Votes: 12 14.6%
  • No, as I think it will make it even more dangerous when they still try to text and drive

    Votes: 20 24.4%
  • Yes, but completely unrelated to texting as they should just learn how.

    Votes: 40 48.8%
  • No, but completely unrelated to texting. Stick shift sucks.

    Votes: 10 12.2%

  • Total voters
    82
Yep. Went to London last fall and they asked me about three different times if I wanted the automatic w/ GPS. I insisted that I wanted to drive a stick (wrong side of the road as well!) without the GPS through the streets of London. Had a blast and didn't kill anybody.
Ditto in Ireland back in November. The lady was shocked that I didn't want to pay the upgrade to auto. I think I would've considered it if the pedals were reversed too (i.e. Gas with left foot, brake with right). Got a Diesel Ford Fiesta - awesome car. I would buy one in a second if they sold a diesel manual Fiesta here.

 
I honestly think that learning to drive a stick is not just about "being able to drive a stick," but that it also teaches you to be a more aware driver. (NOT saying auto drivers aren't aware, just that learning to drive a manual makes a driver more aware than he/she would otherwise be) Manual drivers have to think ahead a little bit more, and are a little more aware of their speed. Once you get good at driving a manual, it's also much easier to merge into traffic because you can accelerate and then slide in with engine braking rather than having to tap your breaks and disrupt others. Manuals are also fantastic in bad weather because you can early-shift to bog things down, cutting torque and reducing the chance of slippage.

I drive an automatic daily, but I learned on a stick and have a stick "fun car." I totally get the benefit of an auto, but I think people often overlook the benefits of a manual.

 
My car is a stick, my wife's is a automatic. My 16-year-old just got his learner's permit.

I am teaching him to drive exclusively on the automatic. For starters, if a kid is going to text, he'll do it either way. I have been known to send a text or two while driving my manual, which is a terrible habit that I never did very often and have tried to stop completely now that I'm modeling driving behavior for my son. But just having a stick won't stop him from texting behind the wheel.

I feel like learning to drive is hard enough - nothing is committed to long-term memory, so he has to be looking at his sideview mirror while simultaneously having to dedicate conscious thought to where the turn signal indicator is, all while changing lanes smoothly and while maintaining his speed. Experienced drivers do all of that unconsciously, but for a new driver each of those motions needs to be learned.

I feel like having to add the whole routine of reaching down to shift gears, while depressing and releasing the clutch and stepping on the gas is an entirely new procedure that I can begin to teach him after he has gained a little mastery of the driving process.

 
I don't see why sending a text on a manual transmission car would be any harder than on an automatic....

 
I really don't think learning to drive a stick is that big of a deal for a new driver. For many of my friends in HS, their first car was a stick. It wasn't a problem, and I doubt their parents gave it much thought.

I drove my parents' old beater for about 3 months until a found a beautiful 8 year old Mazda 323 hatchback for $1800. It was a stick. I learned to drive a stick by driving it home.

 
The big safety worry for getting your HS kid a car with a manual transmission is that his friends may not know how to drive them, so it can be harder to find a DD when he gets rip roaring drunk.

I taught a couple friends to drive a stick that way.

 
I drove a stick for 20+ years until last year. It never stopped me from texting (although I've stopped myself 95% of the time, but can't say I'm never guilty). Either way, stick or no stick if they are going to text they will, don't see a stick as a working deterrent. But, you should have them learn / drive a stick anyway.

 
I never learned how to drive a stick, and have never needed to in my near 15 years of driving. Id say it makes little sense to teach a new driver to drive with a stick, let them develop their ability to be a safe, aware driver before anything else.

I also dont think this stops them from texting either. Theyll text whenever they please.

 
I think it's a good idea for everyone to know how to drive a stick, regardless of the reason why.
why?
Because you never know when you may be in a situation where you need to drive one in an emergency.Also, it's just more fun to drive a stick.
In my 35 years, I've never been put in a position to have to drive one.
My dad spent 35 years as a paramedic. He saw a ton of people who were riding as a passenger in a car that had to drive that vehicle after something happened to the driver. A ton of them had to pass because they couldn't drive a manual. Men too. Oof.

 
I think it's a good idea for everyone to know how to drive a stick, regardless of the reason why.
why?
Because you never know when you may be in a situation where you need to drive one in an emergency.Also, it's just more fun to drive a stick.
In my 35 years, I've never been put in a position to have to drive one.
My dad spent 35 years as a paramedic. He saw a ton of people who were riding as a passenger in a car that had to drive that vehicle after something happened to the driver. A ton of them had to pass because they couldn't drive a manual. Men too. Oof.
oh well, guess i need to avoid all manual cars

 
I think it's a good idea for everyone to know how to drive a stick, regardless of the reason why.
i would have agreed wholeheartedly with this 10 years ago.... now i'd say it's really getting close to being obsolete and unnecessary.

 
Would have felt like quite a toolbag when my friend asked if i wanted to take his 68 roadrunner out for a spin and i said i'd like to but i don't know how to drive a stick.

 
I learned to drive on a stick shift. It's more fun. I think you should know both. My dad only has stick shift cars and if something happened that I needed to drive his car, I should know how.

 
I had never driven a stick before and was going to Italy. I drove my friends car for about 20 minutes and deemed myself ready.

Drove from Venice to Florence to Rome. Without GPS.

That was fun. :mellow:
Did a similar thing a long time ago (early 90s). Had a couple 'lessons' on a friends car. Flew to Brussels, and had to drive to Luxemburg for a wedding that nite. The airport in Brussels is in the center of the city so I had that do deal with and I don't read French. Had a guy who spoke French navigate and I figured out how to drive in traffic and we made it. Then we drove all around France for 2 weeks, tons of fun. Great way to learn stick is on someone else's car!

 
My work car is a manual, my personal vehicle an automatic. 2 things:

1) I dont text any less while driving the manual. It doesn't make it harder.

2) I hate how after driving my work car, I'm always trying to push in the non existant clutch in my personal vehicle when driving around town.

 
I think it's a good idea for everyone to know how to drive a stick, regardless of the reason why.
why?
Because you never know when you may be in a situation where you need to drive one in an emergency.

Also, it's just more fun to drive a stick.
In my 35 years, I've never been put in a position to have to drive one.
If you ever rent a car abroad, you'll need to know.
I was told this, but didn't have any problem renting an automatic car in Australia.

I never learned how to drive a stick shift and have no idea how to learn at this point. Nobody I know has a car like this, and the ones that used to didn't really want to let someone practice on it.

 
Dual-clutch autos have come a long way. I used to be a manual only guy but I've driven a couple new autos -- with 7/8 gears and minimal shift times the performance advantage that sticks used to have is going away.

That's not to say it applies in all cases -- there are still some automatics that are terrible.

 
Learning to drive manual will make you a better driver IMO. Forces you to be aware of more things. Learning to drive should be challenging for people, if more took it seriously there wouldn't be so many awful drivers out there.

That being said, I'll never buy a stick again for my main car, and as many have said driving a stick is not going to stop someone from texting.

 
I think it's a good idea for everyone to know how to drive a stick, regardless of the reason why.
why?
Because you never know when you may be in a situation where you need to drive one in an emergency.Also, it's just more fun to drive a stick.
In my 35 years, I've never been put in a position to have to drive one.
If you ever rent a car abroad, you'll need to know.
I was told this, but didn't have any problem renting an automatic car in Australia.the ones that used to didn't really want to let someone practice on it.
It helps to catch them drunk.

 
My work car is a manual, my personal vehicle an automatic. 2 things:

1) I dont text any less while driving the manual. It doesn't make it harder.

2) I hate how after driving my work car, I'm always trying to push in the non existant clutch in my personal vehicle when driving around town.
I've only owned sticks for 32 years. Sometimes if I'm really tired and driving my wife's auto, I depress the non existent clutch pedal which turns out to be the wide/fat brake pedal. That quick brake jab always "wakes" me up. :)

 
I think everyone should learn BUT having a stick won't cut back on texting if they are going to do it.

You are already at a speed that won't require any shifting when you are going to text anyway :shrug:

 
A GB of mine is moving, told him he could borrow my truck, but he can't drive a stick. I'm going to teach him so he doesn't have this happen to him again.

 
My wife just bought a fully loaded 2012 Accord a few months back.

The car had exactly 22 miles on it. Dealer said they have sat on it for well over a year and had exactly 1 test drive in it.

Asked why and he said "because it's a 6 speed and parents no longer teach their kids how".

He basically gave the car to us, so a big thank you to all you automatic drivers out there. :thumbup:

 

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