It is always the driver's responsibility to make the vehicle safe when leaving the vehicle with the engine running - if you want to risk leaving it with the engine running and an auto box.

He could have stopped the engine and stuck it in park - he would be alive now if he had done that - sorry and all that to not be particularly sympathetic but that's how it is.

From the second link (many thanks, Hillman):

"The Jeep's electronic gear stick sprang back to the same position after being shifted, meaning drivers could not tell by glancing at it whether the vehicle was in park or neutral.

"They had to rely on a warning light on the stick and a chime when the door opened. The flaw was blamed for hundreds of accidents across the US when drivers left their Jeeps without realising they were not in park, according to government regulators."

Of all the idiotic pieces of design..... Another stupid electronic answer to a problem nobody had. Nothing wrong with PRND as everyone else does.

I'm no fan of electronic parking brakes - just getting used to one myself - but in this tragic case it made no difference what sort of parking brake the car had. There must be many who (I would say wrongly) rely on leaving their car in P and don't bother with the handbrake.

Edited by Avant on 21/06/2016 at 00:10

What is is with Chrysler and transmissions, they've always had trouble although this is a new one! I drove a Range Rover Sport a few times with a rotary gear selector. Didnt like using it and on one occasion i forgot to take it out of D when i turned the engine off. The car paused, put itself in P and only then turned itself off. I was quite impressed! Handbrake was automatic as well I think.

That's comforting. All credit to Land Rover (P.Charlton's post above) for thinking that one out for themselves without there having to be an accident first.