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> I truly believe that stop and go is caused by automatics. A simple hypothesis like this is easy to test: does stop and go traffic exist in places that are pr

> I truly believe that stop and go is caused by automatics. A simple hypothesis like this is easy to test: does stop and go traffic exist in places that are predominantly manual transmissions? I live in Asia and I can tell you unequivocally that, yes, stop and go traffic still exists even when every single person has a manual transmission.

fernandopj 8y ago
Brazil is the same. New cars with automatic transmissions are now at least 40% of sales, but on the roads, manual must be still at least 80%, and 10 years ago it'd be virtually 100%. Stop and go exists here since always, Sao Paulo is a nightmare.
draw_down 8y ago
Yeah, that is a transparently silly argument GP made. It's just that weird self-righteousness people get about driving manual. They're sooo much more in tune with their cars, you know.
LoSboccacc 8y ago
Italy has the same stop/go issue. Roundabouts are the main cause, with jammed zip merges coming in second. Both allow only a short burst of cars to pass when at full capacity, which backpropagates into the queue as multiple stop and go.
mseidl 8y ago
It has been proven that one person over braking when there was no need can cause a traffic jam for hours.
- _fizz_buzz_ 8y ago
  But it hasn't been proven that this happens more with automatic transmissions.
  - tomohawk 8y ago
    But it is pretty obvious. In an automatic, you pretty much have to touch the brakes to slow down. In a manual, you have other options. Taking your foot off the gas in a manual tends to slow the car quite a bit more than in an automatic, for example.
    - flurdy 8y ago
      While technically true, there is not much practical difference. Like on a motorbike I tend to tweak slow speeds with the clutch only and leave the throttle in one position most of the time. With an automatic car since the brakes are not binary and automatic gearboxes have often forward creeping I only tweak the brakes. Helps to force the gearbox into 2nd gear as well for even slower creeping. In fact, I think automatic gearboxes reduces traffic jams as fewer parts to think of so less likely to accidentally make a mistake and cause congestion. Wonder how many jams are due to accidental stalling a manual gearbox. Traffic jams without an automatic gearbox is no fun. (or even less fun)
    - Agentlien 8y ago
      I've driven quite a bit with both manual and automatic and, while there is definitely a difference, I've found that moving my foot from the gas works quite well in both.
    - ddingus 8y ago
      Depends, right? If, left in drive gear, yes. However, many cars have several options. In my current car, a Honda, rhe lowest gear will just creep along, next gear up will slow the car rapidly on gas pedal release. Both gears are very well chosen for traffic. I rarely apply brake.
    - loco5niner 8y ago
      > In an automatic, you pretty much have to touch the brakes to slow down. Not with the regenerative braking in my hybrid.

fernandopj 8y ago

Brazil is the same. New cars with automatic transmissions are now at least 40% of sales, but on the roads, manual must be still at least 80%, and 10 years ago it'd be virtually 100%. Stop and go exists here since always, Sao Paulo is a nightmare.

draw_down 8y ago

Yeah, that is a transparently silly argument GP made. It's just that weird self-righteousness people get about driving manual. They're sooo much more in tune with their cars, you know.

LoSboccacc 8y ago

Italy has the same stop/go issue. Roundabouts are the main cause, with jammed zip merges coming in second. Both allow only a short burst of cars to pass when at full capacity, which backpropagates into the queue as multiple stop and go.

mseidl 8y ago

It has been proven that one person over braking when there was no need can cause a traffic jam for hours.

_fizz_buzz_ 8y ago
But it hasn't been proven that this happens more with automatic transmissions.
- tomohawk 8y ago
  But it is pretty obvious. In an automatic, you pretty much have to touch the brakes to slow down. In a manual, you have other options. Taking your foot off the gas in a manual tends to slow the car quite a bit more than in an automatic, for example.
  - flurdy 8y ago
    While technically true, there is not much practical difference. Like on a motorbike I tend to tweak slow speeds with the clutch only and leave the throttle in one position most of the time. With an automatic car since the brakes are not binary and automatic gearboxes have often forward creeping I only tweak the brakes. Helps to force the gearbox into 2nd gear as well for even slower creeping. In fact, I think automatic gearboxes reduces traffic jams as fewer parts to think of so less likely to accidentally make a mistake and cause congestion. Wonder how many jams are due to accidental stalling a manual gearbox. Traffic jams without an automatic gearbox is no fun. (or even less fun)
  - Agentlien 8y ago
    I've driven quite a bit with both manual and automatic and, while there is definitely a difference, I've found that moving my foot from the gas works quite well in both.
  - ddingus 8y ago
    Depends, right? If, left in drive gear, yes. However, many cars have several options. In my current car, a Honda, rhe lowest gear will just creep along, next gear up will slow the car rapidly on gas pedal release. Both gears are very well chosen for traffic. I rarely apply brake.
  - loco5niner 8y ago
    > In an automatic, you pretty much have to touch the brakes to slow down. Not with the regenerative braking in my hybrid.