Learning to drive an automatic car no longer is a hard job as long as you catch the special learning skills we taught here. It is much easier than learning to drive a manual transmission car, you can drive any automatic cars easily just in a day after you catch these simple skills. If you ever see some of the latest cool concept carsin Tokyo auto show lately, you will feel driving a car is something fun and enjoy. Let’s check out these few easy learning steps.

Let’s begin the learning with the automatic transmission knowledge. It is totally different with learning to drive manual cars, it is no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for you to remember, all you need to keep in mind is as simple as “P, R, D, 1, 2” where some special car is having P, R, D, 1, 2, 3.

Other than that, there is no clutch pedal to operate and you will not feel as hard as driving manual transmission cars go up hill. Therefore, an automatic car is only come with Break pedal, Accelerator. Break pedal is on your left and accelerator is on your right. DO NOT USE BOTH LEGS TO DRIVE A CAR! You can only use your right leg to control the accelerator and break. Learn to drive an automatic car is already something easy, so do not mess it up by using both legs. Check out the table below:

P – Park. This locks the transmission. Use this when stationary. Some cars required stepping on the brake pedal then only you can push it to R, N, or D.

R – Reverse. Obviously, to make the car go backward.

N – Neutral. No gear is selected but this position will make the car go forward or backward in any unbalance road.

D – Drive. Automatic gear to use for driving forward, you do not have to change anything, just drive drive, and drive with this D.

1 – First Gear. Use only when you are going up hill with very slanting way. Note that some car put “L” instead of “1”.

2 – Second Gear. Use when you want to over take some cars, it’s a lower gear.

Overdrive – Only apply to certain car. It is a small button near to your gear knob, press it to on it will turn down a gear. Use only when you want to over take some cars or when you want a little bit more power. Learning to drive a car will be easier if you start from the basic.

Step by step to drive an automatic car

Step 1 – Learn to start the car

Automatic car sometimes require a little more technology, some cars are not able to get started when brake pedal is no step on. Read more if your car engine won’t start.

Step 2 – Getting car move forward

Now push the gear to “D” as explain above, and slowly release the brake pedal, the car will move forward slowly. Press the accelerator according to the speed you want.

Step 3 – Going up hill

Learning to drive an automatic car is having some similar challenge with manual transmission car while stop at hill and about to go up hill. Put on the handbrake or e-brake when your car stops at any hill. Press the accelerator slowly until you feel your car is about to move forward, then release the handbrake slowly. (See this related information: Teach me how to drive a manual car)

Step 4 – Going down hill

Automatic gear sometimes is stupid, when going down hill you will have to choose “2” or “1” depending how slanting the way it is. Alternatively you can use “OD” overdrive.

Things to take note for automatic car

• Put your gear to “N” neutral when your car stops at traffic lights or at a give way sign. Always remember to put your leg at brake pedal and put the handbrake on to ensure everything goes safe.
• Only put your car into “P” Parking when you successfully park in a parking lot. Not to forget pull the e-brake or handbrake, automatic car doesn’t mean you do not use the e-brake.
• Always remember different automatic car having different type of gear panel. The latest Honda Civic is using 5 speed automatic transmissions where you will see P, R, D, D3, 2, 1.