I said that it demands more attention on the driving situation at hand, because it forces you to pay more attention to the speed and situation of your vehicle.No, it demands you pay attention to the speed and situation of your engine and transmission. This is related to the speed and situation of your vehicle.
The Toyota minivan I rented last weekend ran so quietly I could not have shifted without staring at the tach. I never knew what gear it was in, and frankly didn't care. There was one point when I wanted to merge and knew I'd need to drop a gear. I just floored it a half-second before I knew I'd want to speed up. So by having a grasp of my speed and situation, I was able to react appropriately. Without a stick-shift.