Vehicle securement override system

1 . A vehicle system configured with a user selectable override of an automatic vehicle securement feature to prevent an unoccupied vehicle from driving away, the vehicle system comprising:

a shifter configured to move the vehicle between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive (PRND) positions;

a Park button configured to command the vehicle into the Park position;

a brake system controller configured to selectively engage and disengage a parking brake;

an occupant restraint controller configured to determine a buckled or unbuckled status of a driver seat belt;

a body computer configured to determine if a driver door is ajar; and

a controller, having one or more processors, in signal communication with the shifter, the Park button, the brake system controller, the occupant restraint controller, and the body computer, the controller programmed to:

initiate the automatic vehicle securement feature and engage the parking brake when one or more predetermined conditions are met, to thereby prevent the vehicle from driving away; and

override the automatic vehicle securement feature when a user presses the Park button for a predetermined period of time while the vehicle is already in the Park position, to thereby enable the user to drive the vehicle when the one or more predetermined conditions for the automatic vehicle securement feature are met.

2 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to disengage the parking brake when the override is performed and the vehicle is shifted from Park to Reverse, Neutral, or Drive.

3 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise each of:

the occupant restraint system indicates the driver seat belt is unbuckled;

the body computer indicates the driver door is ajar;

a brake pedal is not pressed; and

the vehicle is not in Park.

4 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than or equal to two seconds.

5 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to re-enable the automatic vehicle securement feature when a speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed threshold.

6 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to display, when the override is initiated, a notification on a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) that the automatic vehicle securement feature is disabled.

7 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:

detect, once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detect the vehicle is oriented above a predetermined threshold grade and freewheeling on an axle, indicating the vehicle is being towed; and

continue to disable the automatic vehicle securement feature.

8 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:

detect, once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detect the vehicle is oriented below a predetermined threshold grade and not freewheeling;

detect the vehicle is being flat towed; and

continue to disable the automatic vehicle securement feature.

9 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:

detect, once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detect a speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed threshold for a first predetermined time period; and

subsequently initiate the automatic vehicle securement feature after a second predetermined time period has elapsed.

10 . A computer-implemented method for operating a vehicle system for a vehicle configured with a user selectable override of an automatic vehicle securement feature to prevent an unoccupied vehicle from driving away, the vehicle including a shifter configured to move the vehicle between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive (PRND) positions, a Park button configured to command the vehicle into the Park position, a brake system controller configured to selectively engage and disengage a parking brake, and a controller having one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the method comprising:

initiating, by the controller, the automatic vehicle securement feature and engage the parking brake when one or more predetermined conditions are met, to thereby prevent the vehicle from driving away; and

overriding, by the controller, the automatic vehicle securement feature when a user presses the Park button for a predetermined period of time while the vehicle is already in the Park position, to thereby enable the user to drive the vehicle when the one or more predetermined conditions for the automatic vehicle securement feature are met.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising disengaging, by the controller, the parking brake when the override is performed and the vehicle is shifted from Park to Reverse, Neutral, or Drive.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise each of:

the occupant restraint system indicates the driver seat belt is unbuckled;

the body computer indicates the driver door is ajar;

a brake pedal is not pressed; and

the vehicle is not in Park.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than or equal to two seconds.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

re-enabling, by the controller, the automatic vehicle securement feature when a speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed threshold.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

displaying, by the controller and when the override is initiated, a notification on a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) that the automatic vehicle securement feature is disabled.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

detecting, by the controller and once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detecting the vehicle is oriented above a predetermined threshold grade and freewheeling on an axle, indicating the vehicle is being towed; and

continuing, by the controller, to disable the automatic vehicle securement feature.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

detecting, by the controller and once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detecting the vehicle is oriented below a predetermined threshold grade and not freewheeling;

detecting the vehicle is being flat towed; and

continuing, by the controller, to disable the automatic vehicle securement feature.

18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

detecting, by the controller and once the override is initiated, the vehicle is shifted from Park to Neutral;

detecting, by the controller, a speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed threshold for a first predetermined time period; and

subsequently initiating, by the controller, the automatic vehicle securement feature after a second predetermined time period has elapsed.