Star Trek's Chekov, killed by his own car

I have spoken with a buddy who works at the plant in Belvidere. Neither one of us can figure out how the original accepted interface could have been considered safe enough to sell to the public.
It seems to be that electronic interface upgrades are simply the thing to do,
whether they are safer or not.
They cost less than mechanical systems, so they are mandated by the bottom line.
Ya even my atv is all electronic shift...