Team-BHP - Do automatic transmissions make drivers calmer, less stressed & more disciplined?

Initially, I was of the opinion that it depends on the car and its dynamics however further thought made me change my mind and ended up voting for yes. I have only driven two automatics in my life and one of them was a WagonR AMT (I have driven it quite extensively however) so my view may be influenced by my lack of experience with other types of gearboxes. I drive our main companion, a manual Creta somewhat enthusiastically so when we bought the WagonR drove in a similar manner. There was an instance where I took a corner in the WagonR at the same speed as I would've in the Creta and boy did that steering scare the life out of me, never after that have I driven the WagonR enthusiastically and always drove it sedately. Now that may not seem like it has a relation with automatics being driven more sedately but when I drove a relative's Creta AT I had no issue driving it like my manual. However, driving a manual helps me feel like I'm in charge when I'm driving so if I need to overtake I know that the car will fully respond to me whereas with an AT I've always felt like I'm giving it an instruction and hoping it understands in time to execute it. The lack of sync or the thought of at least disciplines me most of the time.

Yes.

I drive manual and an AMT and there is a 10 km route through the city that I frequently take. When I drive the AMT, I drive calm and am relaxed when I end the drive. However, when I drive the MT, I get frustrated with frequent gear shifts in the slow moving traffic. I brake more frequently and get agitated sometimes.

However, on the highways, I always prefer the manual due to the sheer control I have with the gear shifts

It is an interest question. Tends to come up on other car forums around the world too. What is probably more relevant is whether car with automatic transmissions are less prone to encounter accidents.

There has been some testing done on stress levels auto versus manual. And it appears that auto boxes do reduce stress levels significantly. However, that does not result in any difference in accident rates.

There are quite a few different affects, that to some extend cancel each other out, probably.

http://www.safermotoring.co.uk/autom...ich-safer.html

From what I have seen and read over the years, there appears to be no difference in accident rates between the two, despite the apparent difference in stress levels.

I have never heard of insurance companies anywhere in the world charging less for an auto compared to manual. Same for car leasing companies. And /leaseinsurance companies have all the data to make these detailled analysis. And do it all the time.

E.g. female drivers are often offered better insurance rates then males. Females tend to be more accident prone than their male counterparts, but their accidents tend to be very minor, usually parking fender benders, whereas males tend tot have fewer, but far more severe and thus costly accidents.

So although there appears to be overwhelming evidence that auto’s do reduce stress levels, at the end of the day, in the bigger scheme of things, it does not appear to have any effect on safety or more precise accident ratio.
Jeroen

Voted for neither. Depends on the driver.

Yes, it makes drivers calmer and less stressful. True.

But disciplined? That depends on the driver.

If the driver is disciplined by nature, then an automatic will make it easier for them to be disciplined and smooth on road. Especially on slow moving traffic lane changes, roundabouts and overall adherence to rules.

But if the driver is by nature a rash driver, then he is going to misuse the automatic convenience by scooting in and out of lanes, closing gaps quickly. Not to say one hand on a phone or fiddling with the infotainment while on the move.

IMHO, a mediocre driver in an automatic would be distracted easily than one in a manual.

In our mad traffic though, automatic makes it far easier.
Slow drivers, lane changers....Aah..why diplomatic... autorickshaws and two wheelers makes us slow down, brake, clutch in, downshift, swear, speed up upshift, slow down, brake, clutch in......
While in an automatic, it will be just accelerate, brake, swear, accelerate, brake, swear.....

Leave cars. Just observe commuters in gearless scooters and those in geared motorcycles ( not squids ). The former will just weave in and out, brake at will. While the latter will try to go as if they are on rails.

I have never driven an AT so I can only speculate without any first hand experience. But if I may equate it to driving a Pulsar and a Honda activa ( I know apples and oranges) then while the Pulsar gives pleasure to drive on open roads, its the Activa which I prefer on city roads.

Stalling is of course a worry but the more painful issue is changing gears every now and then - this is more painful in the car on my knees. You think that those waiting on the divider have seen you and would let you pass but one of the group is always thinking that I can make it across in time.

Anyway, before this goes off topic and turns into a rant, driving an automatic does give peace of mind and will make those who are tired of other people's stupidity into more mature and calm drivers. But those who are originally god's manufacturing defects, they will continue to be so.

I agree with the subject whole heartedly since I regularly experience same. I become extremely patient while drive the Hexa automatic, less patient when driving manual city and zero patience with swift diesel ( more to do with poor gear ratios on swift ). I also become a hooligan when I drive the Zen. I feel smaller the vehicle more aggressive we become and bigger the vehicle with good spread of torque leads the driver to become a calmer driver . The same is especially true when car is auto and there is no audio drama from the exhaust .

Except for people like Taxi drivers who drive against the clock, I think auto boxes make for a calmer & stress-free driving experience.

"More disciplined" depends on what counts as "disciplined driving" and is difficult to answer. Among well-mannered drivers, ATs could lead to lesser driving errors due to lesser irritation during high-stress situations. However, if a driver doesn't follow good driving practices at all times (ex: tailgating), an AT box is not going to make a difference. That is a problem to be solved by training & education. :)

Yes, in my case. Been driving our new A/T Hybrid lately, (not too much though, only 200kms in 10 days) & feel for city driving conditions Auto is really good. No need to worry about shifting gears all the time, leading to stress. Especially if the previous car is Honda Civic - needs constant shifting!

But I feel car being Hybrid also plays a role here. NO longer worried about fuel & absolutely love the way it glides while running on battery in the city!

Cheers

I was always forced to drive aggressively when I had to overtake someone who was varying the speed a lot just to avoid rear ending. If I have to follow someone who doesn't drive at constant speed, it's very stressful for me. After I bought Automatic with full range adaptive cruise control, my driving has changed a lot. Now driving is not at all stressful and sometimes I feel like Buddha lol:

Voted yes after driving automatics since 2016.

The biggest benefit is during peak traffic commutes when the autobox allows me to 'trance' myself, and stay in the safest lane (usually the right-most 'fast' lane), oblivious to the zillion road users around me.

My manual Cruze (with it's turbo-lag) was a major pain in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I once drove my friend's alto k10 AGS from madras to kochi. After driving around 3 hours, when I stopped for bio break, I realised that my left foot was completely numb. Manual drivers driving AT once in a while beware.

Based on that experience I got an Ignis Manual for my wife last month and has been training her since then. Think I have made a mistake as the lady finds it hard to make the car moving without a jerk.

Yes , I would infact agree with you.

I switched from a Ford ikon petrol manual to a Hyundai Verna petrol Auto and my driving style has changed completely. I used to enjoy revving in my Ford and now I never do that in Verna. I drive calm now and don't get irritated when someone overtakes me.

Probably during the same time of car switch, I got married also. So it might have also had some effects :)

Having driven Stick and AT extensively, 'Yes' from me. Dealin with only 2 pedals and not having the worry about when to shift or the potential stall definitely reduces the stress from driving. In addition, the crawl without accelerator pedal input is very convenient in B2B traffic.
I am not a fan of the AMTs though.

It depends a lot on the AT.

Give me a Honda City CVT and of course I'll drive super relaxed. The acceleration lag is so bad, I'd have no choice but to let people cut me off (not a knock against the car overall. The City is a great car, I'm just not a fan of the 3rd gen CVT).

Give me something like a Vento DSG, and I'll happily push it as needed.

Regarding stress of an MT, maybe I don't notice it much. I feel like my left hand and leg work like an automatic transmission without any concious input from my brain.