Applying handbrake on car

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Mar 10, 2006
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I always use the handbrake. Having dealt with the insurance claims for many years I would not dream of doing anything else as I have seen the consequences of not doing it. I do not leave it in gear though as the handbrake should be sufficient.
Handbrakes can fail.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Always use handbrake(electric) and in "park" on mine.

When I workl enforeced at the docks though,the Hondas coming off the ships had to be parked in the compounds,handbrake off and first gear.

Many of them spent a lot of time in the compounds until they were moved.
I never use the handbrake when parking in the garage.

The law would only be enforceable if teh car is on the public highway, so what happens on private land is irrelevant - unless a car rolls onto the highway and collides.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Still none the wiser🤪🤪🤪

Anyone who has seen a stripped down gearbox will know the “lock pawls” are tiny. Any hard force will sheer them off. Static wise they will hold but 2.5 tons on a small piece of metal?
Ignoring “auto hold” both our cars have electronic handbrakes. Switch off ignition and they apply unless manually over ridden, ie fail safe.
In my day on the driving test , at a STOP junction you had to stop, Handbrake , neutral, select gear go when safe. What happens today on test??
 
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Jun 16, 2010
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Don't forget that in the USA they refer to them as "Emergency Brakes" and rarely use them in the manner that we are all accustomed

Leaving a car in Park is more than sufficient to hold the car in situ, not that i do it personally as the car applies it automatically when i switch off the engine!


As for people not applying handbrakes correctly, that's a symptom of more cars having rear disks. Contraction of the brake components as they cool reduces the braking effect, which is the exact opposite of what happened with good old drums!
 
Jul 18, 2017
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As part of an advanced driving course we were taught how to do hand brake turns on a skid pan. The hand brake had to be effectiive.
 
May 7, 2012
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Handbrakes can fail.
I appreciate that but the failure rate on well maintained cars is so rare you can ignore it although there was a problem with handbrakes as Little basher says but that applied to a limited number of models and seems to have been overcome by now.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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There have been instances when a person has stopped, put vehicle into park, gone to open gate and vehicle has jumped out of park and run them over.
 
Mar 10, 2006
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I appreciate that but the failure rate on well maintained cars is so rare you can ignore it although there was a problem with handbrakes as Little basher says but that applied to a limited number of models and seems to have been overcome by now.
And don't forget the Xantia that earned a reputation for the parking brake to fail...
 
Nov 11, 2009
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And don't forget the Xantia that earned a reputation for the parking brake to fail...
It’s predecessor the BX had such a tendency too. With its rear disks and sinking on its suspension I always put the handbrake in tight and in gear.
I still tend to apply the handbrake firmly and at times my wife has had to come in and ask me to release it.
 
Sep 26, 2018
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The XC 40 won't switch off until Park is selected and the parking brake on, bleeping and complaining until it's in the correct state...
 
Feb 23, 2018
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The XC 40 won't switch off until Park is selected and the parking brake on, bleeping and complaining until it's in the correct state...

My XC60 auto will allow you to turn off the engine with the car in Neutral, but you have to press the Start button twice to confirm your action; the car will then chime continually with drivers door open in this state.

You can move the shifter between N, D & R with the engine off (handy for cleaning the gaiter) but will lock in Park if you move to P.
 
May 24, 2014
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Belt and braces approach for me. If the handbrake is fitted, why not use it.

Still, I suppose that others will know better than the makers, even after the vast amounts of money spent in design and testing.

Would you beleive anything any of them state after the emissions scandals. Plus you only have to look at the vast number of recalls issued to know that their best laid plans and designs dont always work as they should.
 
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