Modes are controlled manually, by the operators. This chart exemplifies two methods for explicit mode selection:

On the left is a traditional gear lever. It is slip-prone. When in installations other than cars, the operators are liable to shift the lever all the way down by mistake.

On the right  is a modern, slip-proof gear lever, designed to avoid slips. The protection concept is to break the motion to small segments, and to enforce delay between segment.

Updated on 06 May 2016.