And where are you from? And how old? Not “do you” but just if you know how.
I’m in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.
Everyone who can’t is too shy to answer the question.
Yeah it definitely seems like there’s some selection bias in the responses. Maybe we need an anonymous poll.
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Mid 20s, Poland, very much can, but currently driving automatic.
Fun fact: in Poland you normally take the driving test in a manual gear shift car, but you can optionally take it in an automatic one. The deal is you have to provide the vehicle for the testing center yourself (driving schools lend them) and your driving license will have an annotation that it’s only viable for this type of gearbox.
Similar to the U.K.
Not OP, but yes manual permits to drive both types, automatic doesn’t allow driving manuals. I believe that’s an EU regulation.
yes
UK, early 30s only ever driven manual, automatics are still more expensive here than manuals but are slowly becoming more common esp with the rise of electric cars. Although I doubt ill get one any time soon.
USA, 40, and…it’s complicated? Haha. I’ve never driven a manual car, but I have ridden a motorcycle which generally has a manual transmission.
And because this is as good a place as any–I suspect once self-driving vehicles are common, the number of people who can drive even an automatic will plummet.
Why? Because kids will be born, then grow up with parents driving them places for their entire life experience, and then will go into their teens using driving services (like some futuristic Lyft company) with automated driverless cars that drive for them. And if that works fine to get you everywhere you need to go…why bother to learn how to drive a car? Do you really NEED it?
I think there’ll be a generational divide, with older generations boggling that the damn kids on their lawns are “so lazy” they never even learned to drive, and I think there’ll be an urban/rural divide where rural kids might not have access to AI cars that can drive for them so are forced to learn in order to be able to get anywhere, while city kids can have a car summoned to them by their phone at a drop of a hat to get wherever they want to go.
But I think the younger generations, once one is born where self-driving vehicles are ubiquitous and being able to summon such a vehicle to you using your phone is commonplace (I think it’ll be a generation or two after the Zoomers…we’re on the horizon but not there yet), will not see why THEY have to drive when they can instead be driven. Driving is a waste of your time that you could use to be doing work, schoolwork, or something fun like a game. I know I would ditch it if I could go exactly where I need to go anytime I wanted while reading a book or something.
Edit: Self-driving cars would also be a HUGE boon to the elderly, giving them some sort of independence even once their reaction times dull. “No, grandpa, I can’t let you drive yourself, but the car will totally take you wherever you need to go. Just put in your destination.” There’ll be a lot of bitching at first from some of the older people, then they’d figure out how easy it is to go places without worrying about their eyesight or something, and give in.
I suspect my generation might be the first in this position, of giving up keys and instead just ordering a car to take me somewhere without me being a danger of running someone over because my reaction times have degraded. I think it’s reasonable to suspect in 40 years, when I’ll be 80, cars will drive themselves.
We have ‘self’ driving cars over here. They’re called busses, trams and trains.
I don’t see them catching on soon in the EU, those cars. I suppose they’ll only get allowed if the risk is reduced to 0 over here.
31, french, with an automatic since 5 years, but drive manual from my 18 years
German, late 30s. Automatic cars are rather uncommon in Germany, we sure like our manuals. Not being able to push my car into high RPMs when needed to overtake or accelerate quickly takes the fun out of driving. I’d never switch to automatic as long as I still have both arms and legs. And yes I know kickdowns are a thing, but it really doesn’t compare.
Also in the past if you did your driver’s licence in an automatic car, you could then only drive automatic cars with that licence. But if you took the test in a manual car you could drive both.
That is still the case. (Except for that one option where you drive a manual AND an automatic car and then do your test in an automatic)…
USA, late 20s, I’ve driven manual for almost a decade and have had a bunch of stick shift cars.
UK, mid-30s, only ever driven a manual car. Automatics are a bit more common now in the UK but if you pass your test in an automatic you’re not allowed to drive a manual, so very few people don’t know how to drive a manual.
U.K., 36. Yes. Most can.
Yes, but I don’t because I’ve lived in Korea for the past twenty years, and you need a special license to drive manual here. I’m in my forties. From Canada.
Austria, early 30s, have driven an automatic only once in my life. I kinda get the appeal, but I don’t feel like the little bit of convenience justifies the higher price point, so I wouldn’t get one myself unless it costs the same (or less) as the same car with a manual.
Australia, mid 20s, I can drive manual but currently drive an auto
Yes. European. It’s the norm.
