Do people still learn to drive properly today?
Recently, there was a big discussion about whether it is right that learner drivers can now take their driving test with an automatic transmission and still be allowed to drive manual cars afterwards.
However, driving lessons in a modern car with a manual gearbox (and clutch) do not mean that the newcomers can handle the gearbox and clutch properly. In fact, modern cars help significantly more with driving than their predecessors. On hills, the car is automatically held until you press the accelerator. When downshifting, intermediate throttle is applied in a controlled manner without the driver having to do anything. When starting off, the car ensures that the engine does not stall. When downshifting, so much throttle is applied that there is hardly any jolt when the clutch is engaged. And so on.
In order to be able to drive an older car after passing a driving test, additional practice drives are often necessary in order to develop the necessary sensitivity that older technology requires. It is important to remember this when letting young drivers take the wheel of an older car for the first time.
