Coasting
Rolling with the clutch down or out of gear, which quietly removes most of your control.
Coasting means the engine is no longer connected to the wheels — clutch held down, or the gear lever in neutral. It feels smooth, and it is sometimes done in the belief that it saves fuel, which on a modern engine it does not.
What it costs you is control. You lose engine braking, so the vehicle gathers speed downhill and the brakes have to do all the work and can overheat. Steering response suffers. And you cannot accelerate out of trouble until you have selected a gear, which takes time you may not have.
The test asks about it mostly in the context of hills and approaching hazards. The correct habit is to stay in gear and let the engine help slow the vehicle, changing down as needed rather than freewheeling towards the thing you are trying to avoid.
11 practice questions on this
Each one shows the answer, and our note on why every other option is not it.
Car
- You're driving in freezing conditions. What should you do as you approach a sharp bend? Safety margins
- Why could it be dangerous to keep the clutch down, or select neutral, for long periods of time while you're driving? Vehicle handling
- What will happen if you hold the clutch pedal down or roll in neutral for too long? Vehicle handling
- Why is it bad technique to coast when you're driving downhill? Vehicle handling
- When is fuel consumption at its highest? Safety and your vehicle
- What can result when you travel for long distances in neutral (known as coasting)? Safety margins
- Why is travelling in neutral for long distances (known as coasting) bad driving technique? Vehicle handling