Some people say they've mastered the juggling act of switching gears and using their cell phones, but others, like 15-year-old John Smith, say they already have too much on their mind behind the wheel.
"Knowing when to change the gears at a certain RPM or else you'll burn out the motor, and knowing how to come to a complete stop."
With all of that running through his head, Smith says he doesn't have time for any distractions.
"I have to spend the majority of my time thinking about it, then I have to spend the rest of my time knowing about the traffic laws and looking at other stuff."
He's putting his foot down when it comes to using his phone on the road and says that's an opinion he doesn't plan to shift.
He says, "Manuals keep me focused on what's really important, driving."
A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows many drivers across the United States agree with Smith that cell phones and six-speeds just don't mix.
Gary Purvis from Macon says after years of driving a stick, he has talking and shifting gears down to a science but says steering his six-speed still makes him feel safer than cruising in an automatic.
"It does keep me aware. It keeps me engaged in my driving. You never really get as comfortable in a manual as you do in an automatic, because a manual, it will still make a fool out of you sometimes, I don't care how long you've been driving it."
Transmission aside, both Smith and Purvis say they'll put it in park before sending a text behind the wheel.