Survey about Braking...

["Khan M. Klatt" <kmk@pacificrim.net>]

I was just digging through the www.vw.com site when I found a little
portion written by the guy who actually does stunt driving for a whole
bunch of movies, as well as doing all the driving in the VW commercials.

Here's what he says about braking vs. downshifting to slow down:


===
Q: In a car with standard transmission, is it better to downshift
or brake when coming to a stop?

A: Ah, I knew that one was coming sooner or later. In my opinion
braking is better. A lot of my friends downshift because they think
it's more fun. Probably is. Feels like a race car. But isn't any
fun at all waiting in the mechanic's waiting room watching soaps
and knowing your bank account is going to soon take a serious
nosedive. Because downshifting has a wearing effect on the clutch,
engine, transmission and also the brakes. Braking only has a
wearing effect on one thing and if I need to tell you what that is,
you got more problems than wear and tear on your vehicle. Remember
though, if you brake to slow down but don't come to a full stop, it
is important to select the proper gear before your proceed. Doing
twenty MPH in fifth gear is not very efficient at all, and
depending on who you talk to, may be harmful to your car as well.
===


That having been said, I think that it would be acceptable to downshift to
slow down when you're going too fast to efficiently slow down with the
brakes alone. For example, if you're coming off the freeway at 75mph, and
there's a backup right around the corner you didn't see, apply the brakes
with your right foot, and with your left foot, push in the clutch, shift
down, and slowly let out the clutch to add some torque related braking to
assist in slowing you down.

This is also a great way to slow down very quickly if an animal jumps in
front of you (stupid deer). If you keep your downshifting to a minimum, and
use it only in situations where you'd have to slam on your brakes, or as an
additional braking force to your normal brakes, it's a fair compromise on
engine wear and avoiding massive braking

In emergencies, where you are about to avoid a collision or potential loss
of life, you might even consider applying the handbrake for additional
stopping power.

- -K