Shifting Efficiency

Shifting Efficiency

One of the most important and life-altering inventions in history is the creation of the automobile. The first model was built with a manual transmission, meaning the operator of the vehicle was responsible for manually changing gears to increase speed. This method of acceleration, while efficient, required the complete attention of the operator, and it sometimes took away the enjoyment of driving. This led to the invention of the automatic transmission, a method by which the operator of the vehicle no longer had to switch gears, as this was done automatically. Since the development of the automatic transmission, there has always been conflict about which method of acceleration is more efficient.

Driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission allows for multitasking such as talking on a cell phone or eating a meal while driving. This, however, is not always a safe way to drive, especially in traffic when frequent stopping and going is necessary. This method of driving, though dangerous to many if it is not undertaken carefully, seems to be popular to most people who enjoy the freedom of multitasking. Driving a vehicle with a manual transmission makes it almost impossible for the operator to talk on a cell phone or do other tasks because the use of both hands is required to direct the vehicle and shift gears at the same time. To some people, this is a much safer method of driving, because it requires the driver to focus more, which reduces the risk of an accident.

Another point to consider is the process of learning how to operate a vehicle. Learning to drive a car with a manual transmission is different from learning to drive a car with an automatic transmission. When using a standard, learning how to create the equilibrium of letting one foot off the clutch and pressing the other on the gas pedal in first gear could take a while to master. An automatic car, with the process of driving in first gear taken care ofÐ'--magically to most people, is much simpler and less time consuming to learn. All a person has to do is put the gear shift in drive and press on the gas pedal.

The final question of efficiency lies within the problem of figuring out which type of transmission is better when racing. In this area, the manual transmission becomes the popular choice, compared to the automatic. An automatic does not give the driver