Demand for manual transmission-equipped vehicles has been declining, and one statistic shows just how far the trusty three-pedal option has fallen out of favour.
VicRoads has disclosed that out of the 215,973 driving tests completed in the state over the last 12 months, only 14,659 of these tests were conducted in a car with a manual transmission.
This means only seven per cent of Victorians who completed a driving test over this period did so in a manual transmission-equipped car. The other 93 per cent drove a car with an automatic transmission.
In Victoria, if you complete and pass your probationary driving test in an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle, your driver licence card will have an ‘A’ condition written on it.
This ‘A’ condition means you can only drive vehicles with an automatic transmission during your probationary period.
The only way to remove this condition from your licence is to pass a driving test in a vehicle with a manual transmission. You also have to pay a licence variation fee of $33.90.
At the end of your probationary period, however, you’re able to drive vehicles with a manual transmission without having to do another driving test.
If you have a probationary licence in Victoria with an ‘A’ automatic condition you can still learn to drive a car with an manual transmission, though you’re required to follow some rules.
You need to have someone with an appropriate driver licence sitting beside you, and display ‘Driver Under Instruction’ plates as well as ‘P’ plates on the front and rear of the vehicle. The Driver Under Instruction plates must measure 150mm by 150mm with black lettering on a yellow background.
Vehicles with manual transmission options have been dropping like flies over the last few years. Some recent examples include the Mazda 3 and CX-3, Mini hatch, Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, Toyota Corolla and RAV4, as well as the Volkswagen Golf.
Are you surprised to see how many people are still opting to go for a manual driving licence? Let us know in the comments below.
