NHTSA Complaint #11268307 — 2018 MAZDA MAZDA3

I HAD A SCARY SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY 2018 MAZDA 3 YESTERDAY. I HAD LEFT THE CAR RUNNING SO THAT MY DOG WOULD HAVE A/C. MY CAR IS HAS STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I PULLED UP THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON BUT AS I WAS EXITING THE CAR MY DOG ACCIDENTALLY PUT HER PAW ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON AND THE CAR STARTED GOING BACKWARDS. THANK GOODNESS I WAS ABLE TO REACH IN AND PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON BACK UP. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGEDY, NOT ONLY POTENTIALLY DAMAGING MY CAR AND OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY BUT GOD FORBID MY CAR ROLLED INTO A PERSON. THIS EMERGENCY BRAKE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE LEFT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR LAST DECEMBER AND AM VERY LUCKY THIS INCIDENT DIDN'T OCCUR WHEN I WASN'T SO CLOSE TO MY CAR. THE CAR SHOULD HAVE A SENSOR OR SAFETY FEATURE OF SOME SORT THAT WOULD REQUIRE THERE TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN THE FRONT SEAT THAT PREVENTED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FROM DISENGAGING. IN PRIOR CARS WITH A NORMAL EMERGENCY BRAKE THAT IS EITHER ENGAGED ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAR OR PULLED UP MANUALLY NEAR THE GEAR SHIFT THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPEN. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS CAN'T BE THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND IT COULD VERY EASILY HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. I KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL LEAVE THEIR A/C OR HEAT RUNNING WHILE THERE IS A HUMAN OR DOG IN THE CAR WHEN THEY HAVE TO STEP OUT OF THE CAR TO GET THE MAIL, PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN THE CAR, ETC. IN A CAR WITH STANDARD TRANSMISSION, THE ONLY WAY TO LEAVE THE A/C OR HEAT RUNNING IS TO LEAVE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL.