Driving Manual. Do you even know what that means? 

Over the years the amount of drivers that know how to drive a Manual Transmission or “stick shift”car has been steadily dropping. In the United States, only 18% of drivers know how to drive stick shift and only 5% percent of cars produced in the U.S. have manual transmissions. Many new drivers fail to learn the skill of driving manual as automatic transmissions are their first car, but for others that may not be the case.

“Originally, I learned how to drive automatic and then I got a stick shift [car] for my birthday so I had to relearn,” said WS alumni Jamie Bishop. 

Driving a manual transmission car can sometimes take weeks to perfect, especially on the busy roads of northern Virginia. Around here the driver of a manual car has to constantly shift gears to prevent stalling and to stay with the crazy traffic of the area.

 “It took me about two to three weeks to drive without stalling and then it took me like a month and a half to learn how to balance on hills and stuff,” said Bishop.

Some of the hardest parts for new drivers is getting into first gear, because the new driver has to learn how to keep the engine going fast enough, while also trying to prevent the engine from stalling and turning off.
“It was tricky at first but once you get the car moving and out of first gear it’s a lot more natural and easier to get it going,” said junior Liam Golden. “The beginning is the hardest part, but once you understand how to use the clutch and when to change gears, it becomes a lot easier. I still need a ton of practice, but the manual [transmission] is a lot more fun to drive than automatic and hopefully I can own my own manual car in the future.”

While driving a manual car can be fun, there are a couple downsides to driving a stick shift car. With the constant shifting between the gears it can make driving challenging, especially in the D.C. area. 

“It’s never fun being in traffic and having to keep shifting all the time,” said senior Anna Goetz.

Overall, people who drive manual cars agree on one thing: Though stick shift cars have their downsides, drivers who use them thoroughly enjoy using them.

“It is a lot more fun than an automatic because it makes you pay more attention to the road and you can’t text and drive with it,” said Bishop. “When I drive a stick shift it just feels like a game, you can go as fast as you can going between shifts and it feels more exciting.”