lear, that's true with any manual transmission, this is nothing unique with our cars. It's all a matter of knowing your car and being careful.

I skip gears all the time downshifting - again, it's all a matter of knowing what you're doing. If I'm cruising in 6th and need a quick downshift, I'm not wasting time going into 5th if I need 4th - if I need a really quick burst of power I'll grab 3rd (below 70 MPH).

As for accidentally going into 1st gear when you're cruising in 6th, I honestly can't see that ever happening unless it's done deliberately or unless you're a complete moron (which, sad to say... there are a few out there).