is pressing P button a safety issue?

It really hasn't been a problem yet. No one should operate a car without learning how to properly use it. *shrug*

 

I had no problem with it, even when my first exposure to any Prius was in a car rental lot with no one to explain anything. But having no vehicles with any Park position for twenty-five years prior to acquiring a Prius -- this household had only manual transmissions -- you may not want my opinion.

 

I've been driving a Prius since 2005. At first it took about a week for me to get used to the hybrid system, since my wife drove it more than I did. After that, it hasn't been a problem and continues to be easy and safe to use. The process has become "automatic" for me and don't even have to think about this process. I wouldn't like to see the Dongle system changed in any way. It's just a different way to operate, not necessarily an unsafe way.

I'm sure that the old fashioned PRNDL system was explained to all of us the first time we encountered it as first time drivers. How much easier and safer can you get than coming to a stop in a desired location by using a normal brake pedal, pushing the park button and then pushing the Start/Stop button to turn things off. Not complicated or problematic in any way.

And looking at it in mechanical terms, pushing a button is way more efficient than swinging a lever through a bunch of detents from Drive to the Park position. How many cars have rolled away because this shifter mechanism has failed to lock a car in Park. No system is completely fail proof or completely safe. If you want more security and safety, set the Parking brake, no matter what car you drive or where you stop.

How do you feel about a manual transmission equipped car? They don't even provide a "Park" setting or button! I haven't owned a PRNDL based automatic car since 1972, so I might have a problem going back to something with that type of system. It might be dangerous until I got used to it. In any case, if you don't feel good about the Dongle and push button Park system, trade your Prius in on a Prius c. It has the little back to the future lever that clicks through gates, that I found to feel a bit less than polished, but it did stop at a Park position. No messy, complicated Park button to figure out on that Prius.

 

Lets pretend for a second that having no clutch and never shifting defines the Prius as an Automatic.

Then It has to have a P then an R then an N and then a D going clockwise around the steering wheel. It has to have a gear with more engine braking, but the law does not say where.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:

 

What's the difference between shifting into park or pushing a button? Both are actions that accomplish the same thing, heck, I quickly moved to just pushing the power button which automatically puts the Prius in park first! If you prefer old school the Prius C has a fake shifter that has the P position.

 

I don't push park because the car does it for you when you switch it off. Then I push the foot parking brake. Step out, and all is good. Why do people feel the need to scare themselves? You can't shift out of park without pressing the foot brake.

 

Is it different? Yes. A safety issue? No. You won't be moving and the worst that will happen is that you'd shut off the car eventually and it'd engage anyways.

Lots of cars have different ways of doing the same thing. Have you never set off the windshield wipers while trying to turn on the headlights in an unfamiliar car?

 

OR,turn OFF the headlights while turning on wipers,like my wife did,scary.
...and i have no problem with 'park' button.

 

I'm with you .... it is a dumb design ......... the control stick should stay in the engaged position and have a park position. I see no benefit to the way they designed this -- having two controls when one would do.

 

In 1964 cars had push buttons on the dash to shift the transmission. They were in a column to the left of the steering wheel. IMO, not a problem. Toyota should have ditched the joystick for buttons.

 

Some did, most did not.

I learned to drive in three road vehicles of that age (1963s, actually), and none of them had push button transmissions. One had the still-common PRNDL pattern, one was a three-on-the-tree manual transmission (no P), the last was a 4WD pickup with four-on-the-floor manual (also no P). Older farm equipment and newer cars have added several other shift patterns to my experience base.

The Prius joystick pattern is very obviously derived from that three-on-the-tree.

 

If it we never accepted change, we'd still have horse and buggies, or be walking. I never understood why we feel so compelled to make such a big deal out of change. Sure the Park "button" is different, but not sure why its a big deal. For that matter, why introduce a new gear "B", might that confuse people into thinking its "Backup", or have a switch on the headlight bar for DRL, that could cause people to be confused. On the Scion tC the gas gauge had 1 - 1/2 - 0 versus F - 1/2 - E, did that confuse some, yes, but is it bad, no. I think its fun to see things change.

 

P is entirely optional on a Prius you never need to use it.
P is right net to R, just like the Feds require it to be
P has been right where it is since (at least) 2004, it did not bother you the first 8 years.

 

P button is handy if you stop and want to leave the engine running. I don't, but it's there, just in case!

Chrysler push button transmissions were pretty cool back in the days of 2 and 3 speed slush boxes. Those push buttons didn't hang around very long, did they? Either too different for most drivers, or too far ahead of that era's technology to be reliable? Can't remember.

The Prius Dongle is way too easy to use and perfect for our hybrids, Park button or not. I think it's a brilliant device.

 

I would say .....maybe half of the people who take the Prius out for a spin inadvertently place the car in "B". It is very easy to do if you don't pay attention after you first place it in the "D" mode and the let the stick go with your hand still in the way. The change that has to be incorporated is the addition of the "B" -- but it is not used often and should have a different motion or a detent so it can not be inadvertently chosen.

This setup has nothing to do with new technology and that technologies need for a different interface.. It is a poorly designed interface ....... not only in design but in it's lack of feedback ..... you have to look at the dash .....NOT THE STICK -- to see the current drive position. I need to use the "P" all the time vs shutting the car off. One well designed control is all that is needed ....... all buttons that change colors would be an improvement over what they have now.

 

Why go through the extra step? Just hit power and walk away.

 

I found it took about 2 days to get used to the push-to-Park arrangement. I can't explain what the -advantage- of designing it this way vs. having a Park position on the joystick, but, it doesn't bother me. And I also do sometimes put the car in Park when I'm going to sit somewhere for a minute before turning it off or driving away, so, I do use the Park button regularly.

 

I had one of those...a Dodge Dart... Hahaha


iPad ?

 

Are you saying that you just knew at birth how the H pattern worked ??? I and many other people needed some explanation

By the way before automatic shift into park was invented you had to pull the hand break there was no other way. How exactly do you shift into park on a regular hand stick again ??? ... and everyone knew that without explanation therefore it was not dangerous ....