Easy access to manual gearbox training for automatic gearbox license holders

During the training for the automatic transmission driving license, you must benefit from at least 13 hours of driving lessons, compared with 20 hours for the manual transmission license. It is considered that learning to drive on a vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox presents less difficulties than if it is equipped with a manual gearbox, as not having to change gears allows immediate focus on the environment and driving situations encountered.

Since 2017, when you have passed your license examination in an automatic transmission and you wish to drive a manual transmission vehicle of the same category, you are no longer required to repeat the driving test before an inspector verifying your ability to use the controls of a manual transmission vehicle effectively; however, you must undergo 7 hours of training.

As of 1^er in march, you can take this training right after you have obtained your driver’s license in an automatic box; you no longer need to wait a minimum of 3 months.

In addition, from the same date, you may drive a manual transmission vehicle immediately after completing the entire training, provided that you have a certificate of completion of this training and your automatic shift vehicle driving license or driving license examination certificate.

How is the training going?

Training lasts "at least" 7 hours from 1^er March, whereas until that date it was automatically of that duration. However, you must give your consent to exceed the 7-hour period.

This training is conducted in 2 parts. The first, lasting a minimum of 2 hours, must take place when traffic is low or zero and has the following objectives:

• to enable you to understand the principle of the clutch slip point and to ensure its implementation;
• to achieve a safe hill start.

The second part of the training, of a minimum duration of 5 hours, takes place this time in varied traffic conditions, and should allow you to:

• know how to use a manual gearbox rationally and safely, adopting the principles of eco-driving (eco-friendly, fuel-efficient car driving technique);
• steer a vehicle by adapting the speed to traffic conditions.

This is a practical training course; the essential theoretical inputs can be delivered to you by the teacher on board the vehicle. From 1^er March 2024, up to 2 hours of training can be conducted on a driving simulator, up from 1 hour.

To take the 7-hour training to switch from automatic to manual, you can select a certified driving school from this map of driving schools.