Button Down for Safety

This is South Florida, the luxury car capital of America.
Think about it. Dealerships in our area are consistently among the top when it comes to selling luxury cars. South Florida is home to the top Audi dealership, the top BMW dealership, leading Infinity, Lexus and Jaguar dealerships. Cadillac and Lincoln Mercury dealerships are also doing well here, and let's not forget Hyundai, which is going to send shock waves through the luxury market with it Equus.
Along with luxury, comes cool technology that can improve safety and enhance convenience. But now there are questions arising about whether one of those convenience gizmos is actually detrimental to passenger safety – that's the keyless start button. You may have read reports about the August incident in California in which a car's accelerator got stuck and the driver and passenger didn't know how to shut the car off.
If you drive a car with a keyless start button, you need to know this: In most of the vehicles, to turn the engine off in an emergency, hold the button down for at least three seconds. Better yet, read your owners manual to find out what the manufacturer says.
But here's something else to know. Most experts say that if you are in a situation where you lose control of the accelerator, the best thing to do is put the car in neutral and safely glide or brake to a stop. You may need to take your foot off the brake for a second or two while you move the gear shifter, but taking the car out of drive is probably your best bet.
Manufacturers are doing a lot these days to enhance our safety, but all of us need to remember we have a shared responsibility to stay informed and make sure we have an idea of what to do in an emergency situation. A quick reminder to a young driver or to a spouse isn't a bad idea.