You might have driven automatic cars before, had passed your driving tests and held a valid driver’s license. But now, you might be wondering if you can change from driving cars that have auto transmissions to those that are manual.
Driving a manual vehicle on an automatic license
The first thing to know is that when attending driving school South Carolina residents choose either a manual transmission or automatic transmission. Those who hold manual transmission licenses can easily drive auto-transmission cars while the reverse can be cumbersome.
The first thing to remember is that if you learn to drive in an automatic car, you will be given an automatic license and will only be able to drive automatic cars going forward, but if you learn in a manual car, you can choose whether or not you want to drive a manual or automatic after you have passed your test. A manual license allows the holder to drive both manual and automatic vehicles, whereas an automatic license exclusively covers automatic vehicles.
Can you convert an automatic driver’s license to a manual license?
The answer to this is NO. To get a manual driver’s license, you should go through training, and pass the test that is administered after the completion of the training. Unfortunately, as a driver, you will be required to attend a driving school and go through the entire licensing procedure from commencement up until you finish, clearly specifying that you are training for a manual driver’s license.
Remember that an upward driver’s license conversion is not possible, so you should endeavor to start the process again. This is why most people would prefer to train using manual cars because they can be able to drive both manual and automatic transmission cars after they pass their tests with no problems.
What you need to know before making a decision
The cost of driving lessons is reasonably high, regardless of which transmission type you choose. So, here are some things that you must think about before making a proper choice as to which transmission type you will go for.
First, it takes longer to learn to drive in a manual car. There’s more to learn in a manual car, such as clutch control, shifting gears, and more. These are aspects that are not available in automatic transmission cars. So in an automatic car, there is less that you have to master. As a consequence, your lessons will likely be more costly since you’ll require more time to complete whatever is required to pass the test. Also, remember that going for driving lessons in auto transmission cars is also expensive. This is why you should do the math before you decide.
Is it safe to switch from automatic to manual transmission?
Yes, it is very safe. However, you will have to go through retraining and pass the tests before you are allowed to drive manual cars. If that is not the case, you will be fined and ticketed. Fortunately, residents of South Carolina know that they have the best local driving schools to help them with this transition.
Tags:Manual Driving
