Is it okay to turn off an automatic transmission car without shifting to P gear?
2 Answers
Turning off an automatic transmission car without shifting to P gear has no impact on the vehicle and is completely fine. Here are the relevant details: 1. Automatic transmission car gears: P gear is the parking gear, used for long-term parking of the vehicle; R gear is the reverse gear, engaged when the vehicle is moving backward; N gear is the neutral gear, used when the vehicle is parked for a short time without turning off the engine; D gear is the drive gear; S gear is the sport mode, making the vehicle drive more sportily; L gear is the low gear. 2. Turning off: Also known as shutdown. When the reactor is operating at a significant reaction rate, if the temperature of the feed inlet is reduced to reach the lower limit of the multiplicity region, the reaction rate will suddenly drop significantly, and the reaction basically stops. This phenomenon is called shutdown.
When driving an automatic transmission car, turning off the engine without shifting into P (Park) is quite risky. I've been driving since my twenties and have encountered a few instances where I forgot to shift into P, causing the car to almost roll downhill—fortunately, there were no other vehicles nearby. If the parking gear in the transmission isn't engaged, the force distribution becomes uneven, accelerating wear over time, and repairs can cost thousands. Moreover, safety-wise, if the wheels aren't secured when parked and the handbrake fails, the car could directly crash into a wall or roll into a ditch, posing a high risk of accidents. I believe developing good habits is crucial—always check if the gear lever is in P before turning off the engine, ensure the foot brake is firmly pressed before releasing it, and take those few seconds to ensure safety. Never cut corners in daily driving, especially when family and children are in the car. Prevention is always better than regret after something goes wrong.