What does the (P) on a car mean?
2 Answers
The meaning of P on a car is as follows: 1. P displayed on the dashboard: The symbol is a circle with a P in the middle, parentheses on both sides of the circle, and the entire symbol is red. It indicates the parking brake indicator, used to show whether the parking brake is engaged. 2. The P button on the car: It is the on/off switch for the parking sensors, which is turned on by default. If the driver feels that the parking sensor alerts are unnecessary, they can press this button to turn off the parking sensor function. 3. P on the gear shift: It is the abbreviation for 'parking,' representing the parking gear, mostly used when turning off the engine and parking the car.
Back when I was first learning to drive, I encountered the 'P' symbol on the gear shift for the very first time and had no idea what it meant. My instructor patiently explained that 'P' stands for Park, which is the parking gear specifically used to lock the wheels when parking, preventing the car from rolling away. Especially on slopes or uneven surfaces, if you don’t engage the P gear and rely solely on the foot brake, the car can easily roll backward and cause an accident. The steps to engage P gear are: first press the brake, then shift the gear lever to P, and finally pull the handbrake and turn off the engine. Once, I forgot to shift into P gear before turning off the engine in a parking lot, and the car slowly rolled forward, nearly hitting the car behind me—a lesson I won’t forget! Since then, I’ve made it a habit every time I park: brake, shift to P, pull the handbrake, ensuring everything is secure. The same goes for starting the car—you must be in P or N gear to ignite the engine, avoiding any damage to it.
