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Originally Posted by ogrady
If you got the clutch in and stay in gear you at least can move your car if something dangerous happens. If you're in neutral you're not giong to be able to take any action if you need to. By the time you kick the clutch in, get it in gear and take off, it'll have taken too long.
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People are taught different methods in different countries. I learned to drive in the UK and I was taught to put the car in neutral and the handbrake on when at traffic lights. This is because if someone bumps you from behind your foot will come off the clutch and if you have the car in gear then you'll hit the car in front - who will then bump the car in front etc. If there's someone crossing the road in front of you then you'll have a big dent in your bonnet too.
I moved to Finland and everyone here is taught to leave the car in gear with the clutch down and footbrake on at traffic lights- no handbrake. My Finnish passengers have never seen so much handbrake action since I think the UK method is safer but people here are very quick off the lights.