Does Accidentally Shifting to Neutral While Driving an Automatic Transmission Car Affect the Vehicle?

[DiLucy]

Accidentally shifting to neutral while driving an automatic transmission car does not affect the vehicle. However, it is not advisable to keep the car in neutral for an extended period while driving, as when the car is coasting in neutral, the connection between the engine and the drive wheels is lost. The car moves forward solely by its own inertia, and in case of an emergency requiring braking, all braking force must be provided by the brakes alone, which can easily lead to accidents. On the other hand, when coasting in gear, the engine itself provides some braking effect, and combined with the brakes, the car's stopping distance is shortened. Shifting to neutral does not save fuel, as fuel-injected engines determine the amount of fuel injection based on the computer program. When coasting in gear, if the driver releases the accelerator, the computer will put the car into a coasting mode, during which the engine does not inject fuel for a long period. If neutral coasting is chosen, the computer will put the car into an idle mode, and the engine will continue to inject fuel and operate.