When to use the car clutch, brake and clutch together and how to best use it: here are the most useful tips to refine the driving of the car
Let’s go back to talking about one of the most curious questions that are of particular interest to new drivers: when to use the clutch? If with practice it becomes an easy automatism, the difficulty in understanding how to use brake, clutch and accelerator it is at least as good as being able to explain how to do it. And as if that weren’t enough, there are also the old myths to dispel: “Press the clutch first and then the brake or press the brake first and then the clutch?“. These are the most curious questions we have received on the SicurAUTO.it forum and that we have decided to collect in an article with the most useful tips on how to best use the clutch.
Updated January 7, 2022: new, more updated links and improved readability
CAR CLUTCH: HOW TO USE IT BEST
Before you understand how to use brake and clutch while driving let’s take a closer look at the most common mistakes among license exam candidates or those who start practicing driving a car. Use brake clutch and accelerator when starting it is a set of coordinated movements that cannot only be applied in a cold way such as putting on the arrow or pulling the handbrake. This is why the absolute mistake not to be made is to look at the pedals at the start: it is wrong, since you almost always expect something to happen with your eyes downcast or looking ahead but lost in the void. It is one of the most valid advice that we summarize in the interventions of Sir_Neko. Rather, it must practice understanding how to use the clutch gradually while accelerating progressively. As for upward reversing, the use of the pedals must take into account:
– Slope of the road (at the beginning use the handbrake);
– Weight of the car and the presence of an expert guide;
– Correct driving position;
– Suitable shoes, better if comfortable, not too high and that allow you to gradually raise the friction.
CLUTCH AND THEN BRAKE OR BRAKE AND THEN CLUTCH TO STOP?
The habit of press the brake first and then the clutch it is a legacy of the past, when the brakes (mostly drum) were not powerful enough to always guarantee prompt braking at all speeds. That’s why it was recommended to make the most of the engine brake until the moment when the revs were too low and it was necessary lower the clutch so as not to switch off the engine before stopping. Today this practice is useless in city driving at low speed and would also risk putting the anti-skid systems in difficulty. If the clutch is pressed after starting to brake, the ABS sensors read a change in speed, which does not happen if braking starts with the clutch already down. In the event of a slippery road, this only complicates the work of the anti-lock braking system, even if the delay is imperceptible at urban speeds.
CLUTCH AND THEN BRAKE OR BRAKE AND THEN CLUTCH TO SLOW DOWN?
But how to use the clutch to slow down or climb? When to use the clutch to slow down? When braking, the clutch must be pressed to keep the engine in neutral even if the gear is engaged. Let’s now consider using the clutch to slow down. In this case, the use of the engine brake becomes very useful, as it will also get you used to driving hybrid cars, which recover energy while the car slows down. So you just need to lift the foot of the accelerator (with the left foot at rest and to the left of the clutch, not above) and if necessary brake with the right foot. Use the clutch to slow down becomes necessary just to downshift or stop altogether. In this way, fuel consumption is optimized and you get used to a more economical and environmentally friendly driving style.