Don't forget to put the handbrake on.
http://www.thelocal.se/20160531/stockholm-couple-crash-car-during-rowdy-romp

A gear shift too far? :-)

I don't think anyone I know (except the penny pincher who drives a stick for the better gas mileage) uses a parking brake as routine.

I guess that answers my question about why so many car rolling/moving off accidents occur then.

I don't perceive that we have that many. Maybe you have more there because you have more steep hills.

That's just it- we don't have many.
The vast majority of cars running over people are while people are still in the car & not watching what's going on around them, in particular behind them.

Yet in the US an issue linked to 41 injuries, 212 crashes and 308 reports of property damage those are just for this particular Fiat Chrysler issue.
In another news article it was quoted In 2014, a US study said nearly 100 people were killed and 2,000 injured annually from vehicles that rolled away between 2008 and 2011.
If the hand brake was functional, and they used it, that's over 9,000 (reported) accidents that wouldn't have occurred.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Where I grew up and went to school. Africa's modernist enigma

In pictures: Eritrea as seen by Mary Harper

Where I grew up and went to school. Africa's modernist enigma

In pictures: Eritrea as seen by Mary Harper

I really had never heard of Eritrea until I started looking through my dad's old WWII stuff. He was stationed there. I don't have a picture of him in Eritrea, but I do have one of him in Egypt. He's the first one on the camel...

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I don't think anyone I know (except the penny pincher who drives a stick for the better gas mileage) uses a parking brake as routine.
____________

I drive manual transmissions because they are more fun to drive.

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I drive manual transmissions because they are more fun to drive.

I don't know about that, but I do like driving one. I taught myself how when a friend offered to sell me her car for $300.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

The US had their Middle East Listening Post just outside Asmara when I was there.

A friend taught me to drive his stick once, but my leg didn't have the strength to move the clutch in and out gently. Could be because the car was too small. I've never tried again.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

A friend taught me to drive his stick once, but my leg didn't have the strength to move the clutch in and out gently. Could be because the car was too small. I've never tried again.

Generally the larger car, the larger/more powerful the engine. And for that you need a bigger/stronger clutch, and that generally translates to more effort required.
Many years ago I had an XA Falcon with a 351, 4 speed toploader transmission & it had a twin plate clutch. With a sore knee or ankle it was almost impossible to use. My present little 4 cylinder 5 speed I can barely feel it when using the clutch.

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Grant
Darwin NT

With the exceptions of injuries, it's always best to spend a little time getting the drivers seat comfortably for oneself, especially if intending to be driving for long periods.

There's nothing worse than an uncomfortable seat while driving.

With the exceptions of injuries, it's always best to spend a little time getting the drivers seat comfortably for oneself, especially if intending to be driving for long periods.

Hell yes, even for short periods, manual or automatic.
I guess it's one of things I wouldn't think of mentioning, because it's just what you do.
Getting in a car that someone else has been in- make the seat position right, the back in the right position (the height & lumbar support & headrest if it's nice & flash), then the rearview mirror & the wing mirrors & the steering wheel height & depth (if it's that flash).
Then you can think about driving it.


EDIT- if my sister or Mum have been in the car before me I generally have to move the seat back before I can even get in.

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Grant
Darwin NT

I only mentioned because many I know with a car is used by the family. My own, no one drove (no body qualified until years later).

However had to adjust every day while driving trucks :-(

A friend taught me to drive his stick once, but my leg didn't have the strength to move the clutch in and out gently. Could be because the car was too small. I've never tried again.

Generally the larger car, the larger/more powerful the engine. And for that you need a bigger/stronger clutch, and that generally translates to more effort required.
Many years ago I had an XA Falcon with a 351, 4 speed toploader transmission & it had a twin plate clutch. With a sore knee or ankle it was almost impossible to use. My present little 4 cylinder 5 speed I can barely feel it when using the clutch.

I think the seat wouldn't go back far enough. It was a subcompact 4-door. With more room, I could have stretched my leg properly.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

All this manual transmission driving reminds me of something my dad said.
If you are used to driving a stick shift. And you drive a automatic car. Pray you don't find the clutch.

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I have found the hydraulic clutch on my current car much easier than the cable clutches on previous cars. I had cable clutches snap off, too.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I have found the hydraulic clutch on my current car much easier than the cable clutches on previous cars. I had cable clutches snap off, too.

When I had cable clutches, I always carried a spare cable. I broke many. On my Fiat 128's I could replace the cable in about 5 mins.

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On my Fiat 128's I could replace the cable in about 5 mins.

The cable pathway on my old Nissan Sentra had a dumb design that caused a lot of stress on the cable because it had to take a hard angle.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I have found the hydraulic clutch on my current car much easier than the cable clutches on previous cars. I had cable clutches snap off, too.

When I had cable clutches, I always carried a spare cable. I broke many. On my Fiat 128's I could replace the cable in about 5 mins.

That's good time.
On my EL250 it used to take 10-15min (most of that was trying to get the cable threaded between the fuel tank & chassis & not tangled up with anything else).

The cable clutch on my EL250 was much lighter than the hydraulic clutch on my CBR 1100. Not surprising though, the CBR 1100 puts out around 145HP, the EL250 probably didn't even put out 40HP.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Just had a plumber here to fix a clogged bathroom sink and in 5 minutes he cleared it out. He said shaving and brushing your teeth in the sink causes the most problems. So... I guess we should get bowls like they did in Victorian times before indoor plumbing. ;~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place