Despite drivers putting their vehicle into park it somehow shift gears on its own into reverse and drivers are alarmed when they see it start to roll away.

Countless car accidents as a result of brake shift interlock failures. The brake shift interlock is an important safety measure which prevents the vehicle from being pulled away of park without first depressing the brake pedal. This ensures that the vehicles are not accidentally turned into reverse or drive whether by a driver or a passenger including a child who may attempt to move the transmission lever while playing in a vehicle.

The brake shift system is important especially for minivans which are designed for families and provide passengers easy access between the front and back seats. When installed in a minivan, the brake shift interlock is a device separate from any other system in the vehicle. There are several different types of interlock variations that many car companies have developed. This includes a brake shift interlock, a brake transmission interlock and a starter ignition interlock.

A brake shift interlock woks by applying the brakes automatically if no one is in the driver’s seat. This does not allow the gear shift to swing unless the brake is applied. It also prevents shift lever form being moved from park unless brake pedal is depressed and accelerator is in idle position. While not every car model includes an interlock system it has been estimated that the cost and labor time for the addition is very minimal. This is an easy solution to preventing rollaway accidents and saving the lives of children that are injured while in a vehicle rollaway or that is run over by a rollaway vehicle.

Most common cause of brake shift interlock failure includes burned fuse due to problems in the trailer plug or a shorted out stop lamp bulb. Make sure that the stop lamps are operational before driving your car. The majority of gear shift accidents were due to children moving the vehicle into gear, which a brake shift interlock could have prevented. Most children will not engage the brake simultaneously as they are shifting gears, preventing the vehicle from resulting in a rollaway accident.