If you drive in a small street without traffic light and if you want to turn left or right, do you press clutch and break to slow down?

Robsteriark

No, you press the brake pedal, change down a gear or two if necessary, get the car into the correct gear for the speed you’ll be doing around the corner. Do it correctly and before you start to turn you’ll have stopped braking and will be able to gently accelerate through and out of the corner. What you think makes sense is not a good idea. Coasting into the corner loses traction and control and makes the vehicle dynamically unstable. Learn to do it the correct way or switch to driving an automatic. What you suggest would also cause you to fail a UK or Irish driving test and most European ones from what I know of their rules precisely because it is potentially dangerous and shows poor vehicle control.

M.

You sound like a new driver. Experience will help. You don't need to press the clutch pedal unless you need to change gears or stop. Unfortunately, the best advice would come from one of us experienced manual transmission drivers if we were in the car with you. It's rather difficult to learn how to drive from written advice.

don r

If you need to slow down by coasting to avoid running into other traffic or losing control you don't always need to push in the clutch. Come off the gas and the car will slow down. You demonstrate poor skill contradicting the driving lessons. Practice driving safely in traffic, keeping up, without fearing. If you keep up riding your clutch it will wear out sooner than it should and replacement is very expensive. If you really need to stop the car, or shift gears, use the clutch. The pedal is called a BRAKE, not a BREAK, but you might break something driving the fearful way you do.

Barry

No. You change to a suitable lower gear commensurate with the road speed.

AlCapone

No, not as you describe. If you use your brake (not "break") to slow down to turn, you should also be using your clutch and shift to a lower gear to compensate for your reduced speed. Otherwise, there is no reason to use the clutch.

Tom

No

Anonymous

You use the BRAKE to slow down. LEARN TO SPELL!