Is it necessary to engage the electronic parking brake when parking on a flat surface?

[LucyFitz]

It is not necessary to engage the electronic parking brake when parking on a flat surface. Steps for engaging the parking brake: turn off the engine, park the car, shift into P gear, and then engage the parking brake. The functions of P gear and the parking brake are completely different. P gear locks the transmission mechanism to prevent movement, while the parking brake applies braking force through a steel cable acting on the brakes. If you only shift into P gear without engaging the parking brake after parking, any accidental collision from front or rear vehicles can easily damage the transmission's locking mechanism or even directly harm the transmission. Additionally, what appears to be a flat surface when parking may actually have a slight slope. Therefore, parking with only P gear engaged and no parking brake protection is relatively unsafe. The reason for engaging the parking brake on a slope: if the driver parks on a slope with only P gear engaged and no parking brake, the excessive force may cause the transmission's locking mechanism to fail, resulting in a rollaway accident.