Here’s The Problem With The Gear Selector That Might Have Led To Anton Yelchin's Death
It’s been previously stated by the NHTSA that this electronic shifter - manufactured by German firm ZF - is responsible for hundreds of crashes. As explained and demonstrated by The Fast Lane Car in the video above, the problem stems from the fact that the shifter returns to the centre position after every selection. Unlike many automatic gearbox selectors, it doesn’t have a park button either.
A rollaway incident involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee fitted with one of the problematic shifters claimed the life of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin, after he was pinned between the unsecured vehicle and a pillar on his driveway. Cars with the shifter were actually recalled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) back in April to have new software installed that applies the parking brake if the car’s still in neutral when the door is opened. It’s currently unknown if Yelchin’s car had been given the new software, although given the nature of the tragic accident, we’d assume not.
Comments
I actually have the opposite problem when I drive my dad’s CLA 45. It has a selector similar to the jeep - it stays in the middle. I am used to applying my own parking brake, but the Mercedes applies it on its own when you stop the car. So I stop, turn the engine off and then the car puts itself in park. Then I instinctively press the park button and wind up taking it out of park!
It also works the other way - park will be disabled when drive is pushed automatically. I think that could be quite dangerous if you’re used to engaging/disengaging yourself.
Most of european automatics (all bmw’s, mercs, all paddle-gearbox supercars etc.) have these kinds of gear levers. And I haven’t heard that people can’t use them properly.
may I remind everyone of a thing called handbrake?
funny that just the americans have problems with that kind of sh*t…
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It all comes back to people not paying attention….there can’t be a recall on lack of common sense. the prius has a shifter that returns to center as well. You don’t hear about anything funky there.
Nowadays, nobody admit his errors. One little thing and bam! It’s the fault of this or that… He just did an error and that’s it! Even if that’s sad.
Instructions on how to park a car:
Put in neutral,
Engage handbrake,
Turn of car,
Walk away…
If you get killed by not doing one of the prior steps, sorry but its your god damned fault…
If this gear shifter is a problem then why hasn’t Jaguar been sued yet?!
So,they have combined an seq shifter with an auto one,is not that hard to use
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