05:46 17-11-2025

Engaging reverse while moving: how modern gearboxes protect you

One of drivers’ long-standing fears—accidentally engaging reverse while moving—belongs in the past. As 32CARS.RU reported, auto mechanic Alexey Stepantsov noted that modern transmissions are, in most cases, protected from this kind of mistake.

In automatic cars, PCM electronic protection has been in place since the 1990s. It monitors speed and simply blocks a shift into R if the car is rolling forward. Typically, the gearbox will default to neutral, which can switch on the reversing camera and momentarily startle traffic behind. It’s one of those cases where electronics quietly do their job.

But when it comes to an older car or a system fault, trying to select reverse can stall the engine and put serious strain on the transmission.

Manual gearboxes are less forgiving. On paper, engaging reverse on the move is impossible thanks to a lockout. Push hard enough, though, and unsynchronized gears meet head‑on: you get a harsh grind, the engine may die, and gear teeth can be damaged.

The safeguards in modern cars work well, yet it’s still unwise to test the limits—repairs cost more than curiosity, Stepantsov cautions.