Main fear of drivers dispelled: Rocket won’t launch, but the car won’t fall apart

One of the common fears of drivers – accidentally shifting into reverse gear while moving – is long outdated. As mechanic Alexey Stepancov told 32CARS.RU, modern transmissions in most cases are protected from such errors. For cars with automatic transmission since the 90s, there is an electronic protection PCM. It monitors the speed and simply blocks the shift to ‘R’ mode if the car is moving forward. In the best-case scenario, the gearbox goes into neutral, activating the rearview camera and slightly startling those driving behind. However, if it’s an old car or the systems are faulty, attempting to shift into reverse gear can lead to engine shutdown and serious stress on the gearbox mechanism.