Reply #22: You are right. I'm happy you are emphasizing that for other readers.

[truedelphi]

If you see the end of my post - I did use "neutral" at the tail end of my experience.

And I imagine if I had had to slow down earlier, I might have done that also - only I waited as long as I could. I had the false impression that by shoving the car into neutral when I was going above forty five, that I would be harming the transmission beyond repair. Now I know better.

Oh, and M. found several stories on the web of people in this same situation I was in, whose cars locked them out of trying the "neutral" strategy. Especially among newer cars. For whatever reason, a driver can be locked into "drive," or fourth gear, at the same time the car is over accelerating.