Tip of the week: Stop an unintended acceleration
Hit the brakes; Shift to neutral; Shift to park
Hit the brakes. The news has been filled with reports of cars spontaneously accelerating. Faced with “this heart-stopping situation,” your first instinct—to stamp on the brake pedal—should eventually bring the car to a halt, though it can take as much as 200 feet to stop a car going 70 mph.
Shift to neutral. “This is your best option,” especially for manual transmissions. “Power is effectively kept from the wheels,” making braking much easier. Automatic transmissions, too, usually can be shifted to neutral, even when the car is in high gear.
Shift to park. With an automatic transmission, this works much the same as sliding to neutral. An internal part, called a “park pawl,” prevents an actual shift into park while the car is still moving. It may make “a disturbing grinding sound,” but won’t wreck the transmission.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Source: Popular Mechanics
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Immigrant' Superman film raises hackles on the right
TALKING POINT Director James Gunn's comments about the iconic superhero's origins and values have rankled conservatives who embrace the Trump administration's strict anti-immigrant agenda
-
Scientists and Peter Jackson attempt to bring back an extinct bird — kind of
In the Spotlight Colossal Biosciences was the company behind the 'resurrected' dire wolves
-
'Alaska has the resources, but America needs the will'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day