2019 GMC Terrain

THE SHIFTER IS DANGEROUS. IT ALLOWS YOU TO INADVERTENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. IN A CAR WITH A NORMAL SHIFTER, THE SHIFTER NEEDS TO BE PUSHED WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO MOVE IT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE RESULTING THUNK WILL LET YOU KNOW IT HAPPENED. IN THIS CAR, SINCE IT IS AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON THAT CAN BE EASILY PRESSED, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS IN A LOCATION WHERE IT MIGHT GET HIT BY AN OBJECT LIKE A PURSE. THE DRIVER MAY WIND UP WITHOUT POWER AND THEN NOT HAVE AN EASY WAY TO REINGAGE DRIVE. ALSO, THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DRIVE AND REVERSE, WHICH CAN CAUSE CONFUSION IN LOW SPEED DRIVING INTERACTIONS IF A DRIVER DOES NOT LOOK AT THE BUTTONS. VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO INDICATE WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL ABOVE A CERTAIN SPEED AS WELL AS HAVING THE PHYSICAL BUTTONS REPLACED WITH SOMETHING THAT OFFERS A TACTILE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE.

VEHICLE CAN BE INADVERTENTLY BY EITHER A PASSENGER OR AN OBJECT PUT INTO NEUTRAL. NO ALERT OR CHIME IS MADE TO ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL, ONLY THE GEAR SELECTOR ON THE DASH OR THE LIGHT ON THE BUTTON INDICATES THAT IT IS IN NEUTRAL. IF SOMETHING IS COVERING THE SHIFTER, SUCH AS A BAG OR OTHER ITEM, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN ACCCIDENT MIGHT OCCUR BECUASE THE BAG OR ITEM MAY PRESS THE BUTTON, SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL CAUSE THE DRIVER TO BE CONFUSED AND NOT HAVE POWER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. A CHIME SHOULD ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PUT IN NEUTRAL SO IT DRAWS ATTENTION TO THAT FACT. IN ANOTHER SCENARIO A SMALL CHILD THAT IS OLD ENOUGH TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT NOT OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTROLS MIGHT PRESS THE BUTTON, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO MANEUVER OUT OF THE WAY OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION. I HAVE VERIFIED THIS POSSIBILITY BY PRESSING THE NEUTRAL BUTTON AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND IT IS VERY POSSIBLE FOR IT TO HAPPEN UNINTENTIONALLY. OTHER VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR SYSTEMS HAVE THE BUTTONS AND OR SHIFTER IN A PLACE WHERE INADVERTENT ENGAGEMENT OF THE BUTTON IS UNLIKELY. OTHER SCENARIOS - PEOPLE PLACING PHONES, BAGS ETC DURING THE COURSE OF DRIVING, AS ON A HIGHWAY MAY INTERFERE WITH SHIFTING IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR MAY CAUSE ONE BY PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. AS IN AN HOUR IN ON A LONG DRIVE, SOMEONE BLOCKS THE SHIFTER BECAUSE THEY AREN'T IN NEED OF IT AT THE MOMENT AS THEY MIGHT BE WHILE PARKING OR MANEUVERING IN CITY TRAFFIC.