Deeply concerned about automatic transmissions.

Auto ain't gonna save you from taking out a stop sign if you don't pay attention.

Of course, the ten speed hasn't saved me from hitting some low hanging branches I notice too late.

Say la vee y'all.

 

So most of the posts are from drivers with experience. Now you have drivers with no experience that do not have to shift. That is my point.

 

Do you know if there was a significant increase in accidents when automatics were first introduced in cars in the 1940s?.

Just trying to understand why you think an automatic truck would be any less safe for a newbie. The other stuff about their options being limited if they want to move to a non-auto company I get and agree with. Just can't work out the unsafe "huge rise in fatals" angle.

 

I've driven both i love driving an 18 or 13 speed, driving autos was ok it just means you kind of get lazy and if a driver always uses an auto on the rare occasion he gets into a manual with a road ranger gear box hes going to be in trouble.

 

The big selling point seems to be that the new driver can 'focus' on the driving as opposed to finding the right gear and properly clutching while driving. The truth is they just want to get meat in the seat as quickly as possible by shortening up the training time and going straight to profit time. If the government gives you $10,000 to train someone and it costs you $9999 to train them but voila if you put them in an automatic truck it only costs $2500 to train them now it doesn't take a rocket mathmetician to calculate that is a better deal.

 

Automatics cause more accidents? I guess that's why insurance companies give trucking companies a DISCOUNT for insuring automatics right? Automatics allow the driver to focus more on driving and paying more attention to the road. Millions of dollars have been spent studying this issue. In 5 years 99% of all major truck fleets will be automatics. It's easier to train drivers, drivers are safe, and they get better fuel mileage and they cause less strain on the driver - especially in traffic. You would rather drive a manual than an auto in Chicago traffic? ok.

 

Just called my insurance company and they have never heard of this "discount"? Also most all the megas are self insured? Soooo, where exactly did you get these facts?

 

The biggest flaw in an auto transmission, in my opinion, is with decreased control of powering throughout turns at high speeds or on declined/inclined turns.

I used to downshift into turns and then either downshift or upshift to pull my trailers tilt ....but noww.. With this dumb automatic I can switch to manual mode but it doesn't react as fast as my hand would on a stick. So now I have to break in to a turn (causing more tail weight) and let the electronic acceleration pull me out..which isn't the same. So because of this, I expect more rollovers .

 

Eh?

 

What makes autos so popular ?