When You Must Be in a Lower Gear: 5 Critical Situations

For drivers of manual transmissions, shifting gears is second nature. But many automatic transmission drivers never touch their gear selector beyond Drive, Park, and Reverse. They miss out on one of the most powerful tools for vehicle control: the ability to select lower gears manually. Whether you drive a manual or an automatic with manual mode, knowing when to drop to a lower gear can save your brakes, protect your engine, and even save your life. Here are five critical situations when you must be in a lower gear.