Whether you call it a “parking” brake or an “emergency” brake, there is a reason to use it every time.
Here in San Diego, a 3 year-old girl was run over and killed when a 2 year-old sitting in an SUV moved the gearshift out of the park position. The girl was with her grandmother unloading groceries at the rear of the vehicle. The grandmother tried to pull the child out of the way, but was unable.
I saw the accident scene on TV and the driveway where this occurred had but a very slight slope to it.
A lot of people get excited about much more dramatic dangers like criminals and handguns. The reality is cars are much more dangerous because they blend into our everyday life and are not accorded the respect (caution) they should be.
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