Charon
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This is a long-standing issue. Way back in the '60s I was stationed in England. When a new driver took their licence test (car) they were required, at every stop light, to put the car in neutral, release the clutch, and set the hand brake. The logic: If bumped, the foot comes off the clutch, and if the car is in gear it rolls under power and at least momentarily not under control. I don't know how they handled automatic transmissions, as there were virtually none there.
Just this month I was reading an article on motorcycle training in England (Motorcycle Consumer News August 2008), said to be considerably better than the MSF. At stops, motorcyclists are expected to sit, motorcycle in neutral, clutch released, right foot on ground and left foot in position to shift into First, holding the bike in position with the front brake. Again no mention made of automatic machines, such as modern scooters and most mopeds.
I have done the thing both ways, in cars and on motorcycles, and I cannot say which is "better". When I drove a semi I usually used the neutral and clutch released technique, partly because of the stiff clutch springs and partly to give "red-light runners" a little more time to be clear before I started the truck moving. To the best of my knowledge there have been no controlled studies, and I suspect it would be exceedingly difficult to design one that didn't get anyone hurt.
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