Driving School to Stop Teaching Manuals

"Dunnik" (dunnik) 10/22/2013 at 23:22 • Filed to: SAVE THE MANUALS, DRIVER TRAINING, MANUAL TRANSMISSION

0

9

Young Drivers of Canada is one of the biggest, best and oldest driver training programs in the country. It's where I went - I learned the ropes on a 5th gen Mazda 323 equipped with a 5-speed. This experience is now no longer available from Young Drivers.

The General Manager of the driver training company, Angelo DiCicco, appeared on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Radio's Metro Morning broadcast in Toronto to discuss the change of policy. Mr. DiCicco said that only 2% of students request training on a manual transmission.

"Very few people know what the word clutch means," said Mr. DiCicco, "We're into generations who have never operated a manual transmission."

CBC Radio went on to quote a sales manager at a major downtown Honda dealership, who said that while some customers still do want a manual transmission, they're aren't many of them anymore. "There's still the hardcore standard drivers who like the control that they have," he said, "but they're [getting] further and father between."

Photo Credit: Car & Driver, Virginia DMV

Source: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

GhostZ > Dunnik 10/22/2013 at 23:25

1

I'd be very okay with driving schools that don't teach manuals (and my school, as well as almost every school within reasonable distance, didn't offer teaching on manuals) as long as they still taught proper awareness of the road and how the car reacts in an emergency situation instead of just getting people to memorize what road signs are supposed to mean. Driver's education should be educating about driving , not about traffic laws. You should know traffic laws, but you should also know how to control this two-ton hunk of metal traveling at 20x the max human speed and being powered by explosions .

twinturbobmw > Dunnik 10/22/2013 at 23:29

0

If they offer me the choice when I take my test I will say no simply because I know how and just need practice. Plus I don't like people telling me what to do when I already know. I'd rather practice on my own.

RMudkips > Dunnik 10/22/2013 at 23:32

0

This saddens me as a young Canadian willing to drive. A big driving school that teaches manual could give hope for students.

What doesn't is that there's an entire driving school dedicated to stick shift in downtown Toronto, although the traffic from Scarborough to downtown isn't exactly pretty...

Dunnik > RMudkips 10/22/2013 at 23:38

0

Yea, Shifters.

That's the future of manual transmissions, I think. Your basic training will involve automagic: and it does make some sense to not overload a new driver with too much, why not make it easier for them? Like training wheels. But a manual - or a gated manual with a clutch pedal, to be specific - will require advanced training only available at specialist schools that cost extra, like BMW Driver Training.

RMudkips > Dunnik 10/22/2013 at 23:50

0

Gated shifters are sadly going the way of the dodo, I don't think it's the same for manual transmissions. As long as we have discerning auto enthusiasts, I believe the manual could have a future.

I'd like to have basic training on a manual, but the automatic idea does make sense.

aquila121 > GhostZ 10/22/2013 at 23:57

0

Your emphasis is great.

Team6.1 > Dunnik 10/23/2013 at 03:26

1

Probably better off with kids focusing on the road and their surroundings and not adding in the confusion of an extra pedal, having to use both feet, and taking 1 hand off the wheel.
And both my cars are manual, I DD a manual. I also bought my 5-speed jeep off a kid who had it as a first car but after his friend was killed in an accident he was too afraid to drive it.
Plus this is probably more cost efficient. A. Keeping cars around that no one drives and B. Kids grenading transmissions and grinding gears and burning clutches. C. Having to pay teachers extra to pay for chiropractors to fix their jerked around necks/backs (this cost my be made up)

SpeedSix > Dunnik 10/23/2013 at 14:23

0

No!!! I'm about to get my licence soon!

Spasoje > Dunnik 10/23/2013 at 17:44

0

As a fellow graduate (7th and 8th-gen manual Civic, in my case), it's a sad day indeed.

YD trains you like no other school does - not being able to have them teach you standard at the most crucial time (in a driver's development) is a missed opportunity, to say the least!

It might even turn more people off of manual transmissions, as it's harder to learn to drive one after you've already mastered an automatic!