Saint Lucian drivers appear to be moving away from obtaining vehicles with manual gearboxes in favour of those with automatic transmissions.
The requested figures from the Ministry of Transport regarding vehicle registration trends were not immediately available.
However, the President of the National Council on Public Transportation (NCOPT), Godfrey Ferdinand, disclosed that automatic transmission vehicles are the trend among council members.
“If we keep to our main supplier, the vehicles are manual, but anyone that is importing, most times get automatics,” Ferdinand told St. Lucia Times.
He estimated that among minibus drivers, between five and ten percent of the vehicles have automatic transmissions, and the number is increasing.
Ferdinand prefers the automatic transmission.
He acknowledged that people who do not share his preference assert that automatic transmissions do not have the power of manuals.
But, the NCOPT President dismissed that notion as false.
In this regard, he spoke of the need to regularly service vehicles with automatic transmissions and properly use the vehicle.
“When you are going up a hill with a load of persons, you do not just leave the vehicle in ‘D’. You apply the required gear to go up the hill, and then you would have no problem with your transmission,” Ferdinand told St. Lucia Times.
Herbert James, the Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Driving Schools (NADS), disclosed that the organization had witnessed a more significant number of students preferring automatic transmissions.
“The reason is what the market has to offer,” James stated.
He said automatic transmission vehicles make for easier driving and maneuvering in increasingly heavy traffic, especially in the City.
An individual associated with a company that imports vehicles also acknowledged the trend toward automatic transmissions.
He recalled seeing a video where some youngsters in the United States who had earlier hijacked a car, abandoned the vehicle and fled after discovering it had a manual transmission.
The teenagers could not drive a manual.
Citing the teenagers’ experience, the local official indicated that fewer people care to or are able to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission and experience the challenge of frequently using the clutch to change gears.
“No one wants a big calf on their left foot,” he joked.
Interesting indeed..but the benefits of manual transmission has been totally missed and overlooked. Manual transmissions:
1) improves hand, eye and leg coordination thereby improving brain connectivity, function and building pathways in the brain and significantly building dexterity in the limbs.
2) as a driver sitting for hours, manual transmission helps in blood circulation through the limbs by the constant pressing of the clutch when changing gears. The activation of the leg muscles when changing gears allow blood to circulate rather than remain stagnant which you get for automatic transmission vehicles as the leg leg does not get much activity when driving automatic transmission vehicles.
3) manual transmission vehicles are fun to drive. It keeps the brain supple when trying to negotiate traffic, hills, etc etc by constantly allowing the driver to think of the appropriate gear to select. After some time this becomes second nature.
3) manual transmission vehicles allows all four limbs to be activated when driving…the coordination that requires are immense. All manual transmission drivers have great dexterity and some may not even realise it because the dexterity becomes second nature. Imagine all the actions that are required when driving a manual vehicle. These actions are repeated over and over thus becoming fine tuned….
4) automatic transmission vehicles takes away the hassle of always changing gears and allowing the driver to relax not having to think of gear changes…but that also allows the stagnation of blood circulation in the left leg. Persons who always drove automatic transmission vehicles find it hard to transition to manual transmission vehicles because they lack the coordination that is required to drive manual transmission vehicles….but a driver who always drove a manual transmission vehicle takes to driving an automatic transmission vehicle like a duck to water. Also, who wants a driver to relax when driving a vehicle? This can often cause a driver to feel lethargic, bored, prone to falling asleep and possibly causing an accident, especially those who drive long distances and driving for longer hours day in day out…. symptoms that you find in drivers who drive automatic transmission vehicles. Of Course automatic transmission vehicles are fun to drive but the brain of a driver of a manual transmission vehicle will have more pathways than the brain of a driver of an automatic transmission vehicle. Same principle with drummers…they have the most extraordinary coordination as they usually have to drum all kinds of patterns and rhythms with hands and feet.. often times, each limb is drumming something different, off beat, on beat, counter rhythm, poly rhythms, syncopations, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, thirty second notes, etc etc.. drummers are like octopuses….and there brains are extraordinary…..
“SIMON SAYS”
Additional Information
Types of Automatic Transmission Cars
Automatic transmission technology has come a long way and offers a range of options for drivers to choose from. Whether it’s a traditional automatic transmission, a CVT, a DCT, an AMT, a Tiptronic transmission or a DSG, each type has its advantages and disadvantages. By understanding the different types of automatic transmission systems available, drivers can make informed decisions when choosing a car that best suits their driving needs and preferences.
F. Y. I.
Types of Transmissions
1. Traditional Automatic Transmission
2. Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
3. Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT)
4. Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)
5. Tiptronic Transmission
6. Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG)
“Simon Says” – They have been existing in Saint Lucia or rather say “Drivers” have been moving towards them for quite a while.
“Simon Says” – the article did not properly define the subject “Automatic Vehicles Movement”
“Simon Says” – Red Light – Green Light – STOP!!!!!!!
I prefer to be the one moving the vehicle, instead of it moving me. Besides, it keeps me more focused and attentive on the road. I also like the fact that they are less attractive to thieves and borrowers who can’t drive them. Automatic transmissions have caused a lot of fatal accidents for drivers who do not know how to use them properly, especially when going down hill, that many are not aware of. Applying brakes creates a lot of friction between the rotor and brake pads which increases with speed, that causes the rotor to get red hot or at near melting point. When that happens there is brake failure. It’s like pressing the brake pads against a melting rotor(s). The point is the compression of the engine being driven in “DRIVE “ mode is higher than any other forward moving gear in the transmission and the vehicle wants to continue moving forward and going down hill only accelerate that tendency. That tendency can be reduced significantly in a lower gear ( 2nd or 1st gear), which would in turn reduce the friction between brake pads and rotors. Depending on the level of friction, a red hot rotor is clearly visible at nights. If you do experience a declining brake function particularly if driving on the hilly west coast, stop the vehicle immediately, and let the rotor cool off for at least an hour or two to restore proper brake function and do not drive in D down hill from there. Bear in mind a short run down hill may not necessarily cause a rotor to get red hot. Duration matters. Been there and done that.
How about SLU moving to Electric Vehicles – a great way to bypass the high cost of Gas etc. Maybe not, Government will not make money or not so much money on usage of electric cars. Maybe, Just maybe we need to wait until Pierre is out of office. The new administration will initiate such idea while Pierre in opposition to oppose it as usual and give the people the wrong information. Everyone will believe him only to realized a fool has just fooled them. A mistake that can never be reversed.
Makes no sense having a manual transmission in that traffic going up north and in Castries.
Automatic transmissions only require the movements of the hands, one foot, and two eyes. Brain dead.
Manual transmissions require the use of both hands, both feet, both eyes, A BRAIN, great dexterity and coordination.
On a manual transmission, one can coast downhill (energy and gas saving ability), and one can bang-start the engine when in a pinch of low battery. These abilities are vacant with auto transmission.
Give me a manual anyday!
Automatic transmissions only require the movements of the hands, one foot, and two eyes. Brain dead.
Manual transmissions require the use of both hands, both feet, both eyes, A BRAIN, great dexterity and coordination.
On a manual transmission, one can coast downhill (energy and gas saving ability), and one can bang-start the engine when in a pinch of low battery. These abilities are vacant with auto transmission.
Give me a manual anyday!
To @Anonymous, @Simon Says and @Yep …. YES!!
I THINK ITS BEST WE STAY WITH AS MANY MANUAL TRANSMISSION AS POSSIBLE.
ONE REASON BEING MANUAL GEARS KEEPS YOU AWAKE WHEN DRIVING, HAVE TO MANUALLY CHANGING GEARS AND NUMBER ONE REASON NO HANDS AVAILABLE TO DRIVE AND USE CELL PHONES
CAN GIVE MORE REASON…MORE TIME
mahlo
https://m.facebook.com/GamesByOsiris/
In other words….the sky is blue! What else is new! Can transport tell us how many vehicles are on our roads? Simple question right.
Just a minor observation, most auto manufacturers have scaled down manual transmissions. Toyota for example does not make a Corolla with manual transmissions anymore, Honda Civics are only available with automatic transmissions.
So all the talk is irrelevant.
“Keeping it real” was the only person who was educated enough on the subject to highlight the fact AUTO MANUFACTURERS SUPPLY LESS AND LESS MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES, nobody touched on the durability and reliability of manual transmissions over automatics esp in a 3rd world where automotive acquisition and upkeep is abysmally expensive.