Do you use the handbrake?

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 08:26

Thought about this on the way in to work this morning, following this car (with IAM sticker prominent in the rear window), we were stopped waiting at the lights, this 'advanced' driver obviously does not use the handbrake - I just wonder what other people's opinion is of this?

spokey · Post by **spokey** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 09:07

Phooto wrote:Thought about this on the way in to work this morning, following this car (with IAM sticker prominent in the rear window), we were stopped waiting at the lights, this 'advanced' driver obviously does not use the handbrake - I just wonder what other people's opinion is of this?

I don't use the handbrake. In that situation, I think the advanced thing to do is to provide every warning to people coming up behind you that you are, in fact, stopped and have no intention of moving.

miketheman2k · Post by **miketheman2k** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 09:28

Handbrakes are for tight corners

mrloneranger · Post by **mrloneranger** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 09:42

When a pause becomes a wait ... apply the hand brake!!

Thats what i was taught! Although with my auto i use the foot brake to stay still or i guess i could take it out of drive.

BostonGreenZ3 · Post by **BostonGreenZ3** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 09:57

I dont use my handbrake either - the only time I apply it is when my car is parked up

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 09:58

Have to admit I hardly use my handbrake either!

Grubbins · Post by **Grubbins** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 10:22

Once I'm sure the cars behind have stopped, then I use the hand brake. I suppose I spend 50% of my commute crawling or sat in traffic. High level brake lights and the obligitory fog lamps dazzle me - so I try not to do that to others.

Lorraine · Post by **Lorraine** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 11:23

I do not use my handbrake except when parked. I have never heard of people using the handbrake at lights etc until I moved here. I don't see it when I go to Europe, and I have lived in Australia and the US. Doesn't seem necessary to me and would keep me from moving quicky if I have to.

AndyBass · Post by **AndyBass** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 11:38

I rarely use it when the car is in my garage. I leave it in gear. What's the point stretching the cable when it's not needed. If I'm stopped at lights longer than the time it takes to select 1st and move straight off then I always use it.

CTB · Post by **CTB** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 11:57

"HANDBRAKE" ............... what and where is it ?

GROMMIT · Post by **GROMMIT** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 12:44

My Grandad used to use the handbrake at every roundabout and junction, he was an absolute nightmare and we persuaded him to hang his keys up when he was 65.

spokey · Post by **spokey** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 13:57

I have not done IAM, so I can't comment on what they teach. However, I have done a course on defensive driving (not offensive, despite what my fellow Huntsmen would have you believe!

) and I was taught that a very good thing is to give people as much warning as possible that you are stopped. This included (for example) not using your handbrake at a junction but using your brakes, and stopping at the brow of a hill so that people coming up behind you didn't go over the hill to find you stopped just as they came over the hill.

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 17:36

All interesting comments!

My understanding is that if you are waiting for more than a few moments, then you use the handbrake.

Keeping the footbrake applied has a number of disadvantages :

- if someone hits you in the rear, you will fly forward.

- if you have been using the brakes a lot, then they will be hot. Keeping the pads touching the discs will unevenly cool them down, contributing to disc warping. The handbrake will not do this, as it operates on a drum.

- dazzling people in traffic behind you - especially at night, very rude!

- unnecessary stress on your feet!

No problem with the comment about leaving it in gear in the garage though, that is quite sensitive to the car, and not a bad idea.

Just wondered what people's habits were - I imagine most of you do not push-pull steer either, and cross your hands as well!

spokey · Post by **spokey** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 18:01

Phooto wrote:I imagine most of you do not push-pull steer either, and cross your hands as well!

I'll start that as soon as I see Schuey doing it at Imola.

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 18:19

No problem with not moving your hands on the track, where the corners are predictable and not particularily tight - but for maximum manouverability in normal driving, push-pull is far superior (when you can do it right).

Most people find it clumsy, but when you can do it properly, your steering is more controllled. Watch car drivers as a pedestrian going round a corner with both their hands at the bottom of the wheel - can they turn the wheel anymore without removing a hand from the wheel (and control)?

Zmeagol · Post by **Zmeagol** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 19:36

If I'm on the flat I don't use any brakes. If I'm on a slope and need to use a brake for more than a couple of seconds, I use the handbrake. I had German measles as a kid and find the high level brakelights on modern cars blinding, so I try not to blind the guy (or gal) behind me.

In an auto I stick it into park.

On the other hand I don't use the handbrake when doing three point turns, so had to re-learn this when doing my IAM (and then unlearn afterwards).

Tim

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 19:49

Phooto wrote:No problem with not moving your hands on the track, where the corners are predictable and not particularily tight - but for maximum manouverability in normal driving, push-pull is far superior (when you can do it right).

Most people find it clumsy, but when you can do it properly, your steering is more controllled. Watch car drivers as a pedestrian going round a corner with both their hands at the bottom of the wheel - can they turn the wheel anymore without removing a hand from the wheel (and control)?

That depends quite a lot on how quick the rack is too. A lot of older BMWs have notoriously slow racks like the E30 and E36 were not that quick. Z3 seems to be quicker and less than 3 turns lock to lock though.

As for the Alfa at the lights, it could be an automatic?

varboy · Post by **varboy** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 20:26

Work sent me on an advanced driving course because I got some points on my licence. The job involved driving at the time so the firm wanted to protect their investment

The instructer recommended to me that the handbrake should be used on a long wait but if say you were stopped at lights or juction and a car was approaching from behind, then put your foot on the foot brake to get it in to hisr dumb head that you are stopped. Good advice.

I find that having an auto, I don't use the handbrake except when I park, lazy

tetchmeister · Post by **tetchmeister** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 21:16

Phooto wrote:
c_w wrote:As for the Alfa at the lights, it could be an automatic?
Could be (I suspect it wasn't), but then, he could use Park / and or the handbrake. (See Tim's post)

There is no 147 auto, just the 'selespeed' sequential manual, (on a 2.0l) so no brake required to keep still.

tetchmeister · Post by **tetchmeister** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 21:23

Oh, and at traffic lights I keep my foot on the brake until there is a car stopped behind me. (sometime pressing and releasing, to flash the lights a little, not sure if that is beneficial?)

I only use my handbrake when waiting on a slope, and never when parking, (always leave in gear) I don't find it slows me down in any way, as I release it as i press the accelerator.

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 21:31

c_w wrote:As for the Alfa at the lights, it could be an automatic?

Could be (I suspect it wasn't), but then, he could use Park / and or the handbrake. (See Tim's post)

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Wed 15 Jun, 2005 21:49

tetchmeister wrote:There is no 147 auto, just the 'selespeed' sequential manual, (on a 2.0l) so no brake required to keep still.

AHAH! - So she was guilty as charged!

Oscar · Post by **Oscar** » Fri 29 Jul, 2005 15:43

Keeping the footbrake applied has a number of disadvantages :

- if someone hits you in the rear, you will fly forward.

I'm not sure this is true

. The handbrake operates on the rear wheels and if someone hits your rear

then the car will tend to lift off the rear wheels and be pushed forward like a wheelbarrow effect. With all four wheels braked with the footbrake, this can't happen.

I too have done the defensive driving course and one of the lessons I took away was that automatic cars are less likely to be involved in a smash (I can't remember the ratio but it wasn't insignificant) because they tend to sit with the brake lights on as a warning.

Oscar

kelart · Post by **kelart** » Fri 29 Jul, 2005 16:54

i've just found out about the handbrake not long ago. i'm not sure there's similar regualtion outside the UK. we've got diferent - USE THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN IS RAINING! more useful.

garyw · Post by **garyw** » Fri 29 Jul, 2005 19:17

I have never been on a training course, but hope to start IAM soon...
I tend to use the footbrake for a short stop and in queing traffic but if I have just had the traffic lights change on me I tend to put the hand brake on..

Tends to give an easier get away by finding the clutch biting point with revs ..

garyw

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat 30 Jul, 2005 17:00

kelart wrote:i've just found out about the handbrake not long ago. i'm not sure there's similar regualtion outside the UK. we've got diferent - USE THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN IS RAINING! more useful.

I learned to drive and got my driver's license in Switzerland. Was thought not to use the handbrake at lights but to always have your foot on the foot-break to show that you are at a standstill. Hand-break was only used at the point you are to take off on a hill start.

As for lights, these are to be used to be "Seen" so you are not allowed to drive with only your parking lights. As for the fog lamps, these are only allowed in adverse weather.

In switzerland, you are also forced to have a few lessons on the motorway so that you apprecaite speed and the risks, most important that the outside lane is only used to overtake and that you only join the motorway at the same speed as those travelling on it.

Having lived many years on the continent, I understand and have seen that the above applies and is practiced in most of the european countries.

It is certainly different here in the UK.

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Mon 01 Aug, 2005 20:14

Oscar wrote:
Keeping the footbrake applied has a number of disadvantages :

- if someone hits you in the rear, you will fly forward.
I'm not sure this is true . The handbrake operates on the rear wheels and if someone hits your rear then the car will tend to lift off the rear wheels and be pushed forward like a wheelbarrow effect. With all four wheels braked with the footbrake, this can't happen.

I too have done the defensive driving course and one of the lessons I took away was that automatic cars are less likely to be involved in a smash (I can't remember the ratio but it wasn't insignificant) because they tend to sit with the brake lights on as a warning.

Oscar

An auto won't fly forward in the same way a manual would - which it would as your foot will leave the pedal upon impact, so releasing the brake. But all the same, your foot will come off of the brake on an auto as well!

zroadster.net

Do you use the handbrake?

Do you use the handbrake?

Re: Do you use the handbrake?