Nope. I've driven several... errh... dozens of American automatics, and you can shift from D to N and N to D while the car is moving. No brakes required. You only require brakes to get into "P"
You can also start most automatics in neutral. It's only recently that they've created locks that require you to be on the brakes while starting the car... and even then, you can start the car in neutral... blissfully unaware that the car is not in Park, step on the gas thinking it's the brake, and shift into drive and drive straight into a 7-11.
-
What I find appalling in the video is the apparent lack of awareness of both drivers. The first driver actually stops the car at one point with the gearshift
still in reverse and the car only held in place by the handbrake!
It seems very likely that the first driver parked it in "N" rather than "P"... the rest is history. Or hysteria. Whichever comes first.
