I've been driving automatics for 50 years and I was taught to put the stick into neutral if I needed to stop for more than a few seconds (lights, slow queues etc.). so as not to dazzle the driver behind with the brake lights. (One video on YT says that you should use neutral at night but not necessarily during the day.) I did a test drive recently in a hybrid, so of course it's automatic. The salesman said that I just need to keep the footbrake pressed and not to touch the gearstick in the circumstances I mention above. There are lots of videos and articles about this issue, and very varied opinions. So can I ask:
What do the automatic drivers on this forum do?
Is there a different rule for hybrids?
To drive company vehicles I had a second round of driving instruction. During that time I was taught that I should keep my foot on the footbrake pedal to keep the brake lights illuminated. Also I was also taught that I shall keep the indicator on when halted at Traffic light controlled junction when turning left or right at that junction.
I've also been in 2 accidents where the vehicle was rear ended, both occasions the driver of the vehicle had stopped, put the handbrake on and foot off the brake pedal so the brake lights weren't working - both times the driver of the vehicle that hit us said, in 'mitigation', I thought you were moving off as your brake lights were not illuminated. Second time it happened the Police were called and they checked the brake lights to see if they were working - one was, one the bulb glass was broken. The Police recommended to the driver (not me) should keep their foot on the footbrake to keep the brake lights illuminated.
Most HGV's seem to illuminate the Brakelights with the ignition on and the handbrake applied.
I owned and driven automatic transmission cars for nearly 30 years. Never put one into neutral or park when at traffic lights. Had a look into the handbook for the first one I had (with Borg-Warner slush box), that offered
no advice about selecting neutral when stopped in traffic, did recommend car should be held on the footbrake rather than the parking brake. It also recommended that a transmission oil cooler should be fitted to vehicle used for towing or in heavy traffic in Hot climes.
An auto transmission BMW I drove with Stop/Start technology would stop the engine when brought to a halt and held for >5 seconds on the footbrake, put the parking brake on and the engine would remain running; the manual transmission Golf I had did similar, stop, G/B in neutral, footbrake on - engine stopped, put the parking brake on and the engine would start.
Edit: reference to BMW to have Automatic Transmission added.