2015 Jeep Patriot Owner Manual - Page 340

338 STARTING AND OPERATING WARNING! • Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully when parked to guard against vehicle movement and possible injury or damage. • Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if it is not completely in PARK. Check by trying to move the shift lever out of PARK with the brake pedal released. Make sure the transmission is in PARK before leaving the vehicle. • It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit someone or something. Only shift into gear when the engine is idling normally and your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal. (Continued) WARNING! (Continued) • Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK, turn the engine OFF, and remove the ignition key. Once the key is removed, the transmission is locked in PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted movement. • When leaving the vehicle, always remove the ignition key from the vehicle and lock the vehicle. • Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or others could be seriously or fatally injured. Children should be warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the shift lever. (Continued)