Can You Shift to P Gear at a Red Light?
1 Answers
It is possible to shift to P gear at a red light, but it is not recommended for drivers to do so. If the car is shifted into P gear and is rear-ended by another vehicle, the transmission of the driver's car may be damaged. Therefore, it is advisable to stay in D gear with the handbrake engaged or shift directly into N gear when waiting at a red light. Automatic transmissions have both N gear and P gear, both of which can be used when parking. When shifted into N gear, there is no locking mechanism to secure the transmission gears, so the car can still move if the handbrake is not engaged. However, P gear is different—it has an internal locking mechanism that secures the transmission gears once engaged. In this case, the car cannot move even without the handbrake being applied.