Manual Transmissions Add Security, Too

If you need another reason to purchase a manual transmission in your next car instead of an automatic, here it is: the population of carjackers who know how to drive a stick is apparently in decline. A St. Petersburg, FL man and his girlfriend learned this firsthand when the pair was approached by two would-be carjackers.

The robbers produced a handgun and ordered the victims out of the car. Next, they demanded cash and a cell phone, before jumping into the car for an escape. As Left Lane News and the St. Petersburg Times explain, that’s where things started going wrong for the robbers. The car, a 2007 Nissan, had a manual transmission, which thoroughly baffled the criminal duo. Unable to drive the victim’s car, the rookie robbers were forced to make their escape on foot.

I say we start lobbying insurance companies for steep discounts on manual transmission cars. They require a higher level of awareness behind the wheel, and since driving a stick requires using your right hand to shift, texting while driving is nearly impossible. Even talking on a hand-held cell phone is difficult, which encourages manual transmission drivers to use a Bluetooth device. We can now add “reduces theft” to the list of benefits, so who’s with me on this?