Holding gear lever

[craig_the_german]

Truth (actual driver usage in this case) can be stranger than fiction (test schemes devised by design/QA departments)

My father was a motor mechanic (started work in the 50s) and recalls issues that many drivers had with their cars back then. Constant complaints about shocking fuel consumption as an example....turned out to be that the drivers were pulling the choke knobs out (how many of you can remember cars with manual chokes??) to allow them to hang objects on....just when you think you have seen it all.

[MkVIGTI]

sdhog2002,

Its not going to cause an immediate failure but over time it can make the gear lever action loose and eventually lead to gear changing problems. My Dad always used to say that when he was learning to drive the instructer had a wooden ruler and would rap him over the knuckles if he left his hand on the gear lever and also his thigh if he left his foot on the clutch.

In a similar vein, I saw a brand new Holden Cruze being driven the other day and the guy had his foot resting on the brake pedal all the time as his brakelights were blinding me. I see that happening more frequently. Some people must have bottomless pockets for the repair & servicing costs involved with doing that.

The Holden Cruze doesn't have a footrest, that helped it achieve a 5 star safety rating apparently

[maxrob200]

Footrests (both sides) are great when driving long distances with cruise control switched on. Hard on the feet if they are cramped up to avoid touching the gas pedal on cruise.