Courtesy and brake lights

[PTA]

Not entirely caravan related, but....
I remember being taught that, as a matter of courtesy, when stopped at traffic lights/junctions etc, the handbrake should be applied and foot taken off the brake pedal in order to avoid dazzling vehicles behind.
Not many drivers seem to do it nowadays....and I must admit that, with an automatic I find it a bit of a pain.
Thoughts......?

 

[otherclive]

Not entirely caravan related, but....
I remember being taught that, as a matter of courtesy, when stopped at traffic lights/junctions etc, the handbrake should be applied and foot taken off the brake pedal in order to avoid dazzling vehicles behind.
Not many drivers seem to do it nowadays....and I must admit that, with an automatic I find it a bit of a pain.
Thoughts......?

My car has Autohold and it keeps the brake lights on. So I’m not moving the transmission lever or applying handbrake. I admit it’s a pain in traffic queues but nothing I can do about it. But the runabout doesn’t have auto hold. So when stopped it’s generally put into neutral either handbrake on and no rear brake lights are lit.

 

[PTA]

My car has Autohold and it keeps the brake lights on. So I’m not moving the transmission lever or applying handbrake. I admit it’s a pain in traffic queues but nothing I can do about it. But the runabout doesn’t have auto hold. So when stopped it’s generally put into neutral either handbrake on and no rear brake lights are lit.

Thanks.
Ditto re autohold. It would be a huge faff using the shift lever and then puiiing up the brake button.
Hence my question I suppose.

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks.
Ditto re autohold. It would be a huge faff using the shift lever and then puiiing up the brake button.
Hence my question I suppose.

Mines on autohold all the time. Not mucking about now. Most cars seem to have this system. Or drivers never use the handbrake, just use foot brake.
Blame the vehicle manufacturers.

 

[IanB1485]

My automatic tends to creep whilst in D on the 'parking brake' so I flick it into neutral , I was taught to do this from an advanced driving instructor - the reason she gave was "if you sit on the foot brake /clutch and you get rear ended the feet may(will) come off the pedals and off you go , also take both hands off the steering wheel for the same reason, if one hand is on the wheel(usually the RH one) then you instinctively pull on the wheel turning the car to the right and possibly into oncoming traffic her words not mine . Personally I do it as a matter of courtesy to drivers behind me , nothing worse than sitting in the dark in traffic looking at the those really bright LED brake lights! - I pull the sun visor down and sit up to block them out.

 

[otherclive]

My automatic tends to creep whilst in D on the 'parking brake' so I flick it into neutral , I was taught to do this from an advanced driving instructor - the reason she gave was "if you sit on the foot brake /clutch and you get rear ended the feet may(will) come off the pedals and off you go , also take both hands off the steering wheel for the same reason, if one hand is on the wheel(usually the RH one) then you instinctively pull on the wheel turning the car to the right and possibly into oncoming traffic her words not mine . Personally I do it as a matter of courtesy to drivers behind me , nothing worse than sitting in the dark in traffic looking at the those really bright LED brake lights! - I pull the sun visor down and sit up to block them out.

I’ve never put an auto on the parking brake when in D. It wouldn’t feel right. Parking brake goes with N or P, and I can understand the vehicle wanting to move if in D with Parking brake applied. Don’t some cars release the PB when D is applied?

 

[Dustydog]

I’ve never put an auto on the parking brake when in D. It wouldn’t feel right. Parking brake goes with N or P, and I can understand the vehicle wanting to move if in D with Parking brake applied. Don’t some cars release the PB when D is applied?

Auto hold on my VW is nothing to do with the Parking brake. It holds the foot brake hence why the brake lights stay on. Hydraulically operated.
The Hand brake is electric and some may say “slow” to go on and off. That’s manually operated.

 

[otherclive]

Auto hold on my VW is nothing to do with the Parking brake. It holds the foot brake hence why the brake lights stay on. Hydraulically operated.
The Hand brake is electric and some may say “slow” to go on and off. That’s manually operated.

Mines the same. Autohold independent of parking brake.

 

[birdman101]

Having had Automatics for towing for more than 30 years, I don’t worry about brake lights being on when at traffic lights etc, as majority of manual car drivers keep their foot on the brake pedal

 

[Hutch]

Auto hold on my VW is nothing to do with the Parking brake. It holds the foot brake hence why the brake lights stay on. Hydraulically operated.
The Hand brake is electric and some may say “slow” to go on and off. That’s manually operated.

My Santa Fe, auto hold on hand brake , or electric, hand brake are both electrical input to a servo, to a cable brake on the rear brake shoes.
But the system puts on brake lights when sitting idle.

 

[Lutz]

I can’t say that brake lights on the car in front of mine have ever dazzled me. I just look in another direction if I find them particularly bright. However, there does seem to be a big difference between various models when it comes to brightness of brake lights.

 

[Woodentop]

Actually, autohold just maintains the pressure in the brake pipes BUT after 2-3 minutes and especially if you are facing down a slope the full (hand) brake is applied and the green authold light changes to red. Had two Passat Estates and now have a Karoq and they all work(ed) like that.
You can of course just pull the handbrake switch and do it yourself!
Mercs, most BMWs, and Volvo's all do it as well.

 

[Hutch]

Actually, autohold just maintains the pressure in the brake pipes BUT after 2-3 minutes and especially if you are facing down a slope the full (hand) brake is applied and the green authold light changes to red. Had two Passat Estates and now have a Karoq and they all work(ed) like that.
You can of course just pull the handbrake switch and do it yourself!
Mercs, most BMWs, and Volvo's all do it as well.

Ah, now that gives me another reason to take the car out into the woods with the dog and park in silly places, just to check.
I also go to a place in our woods that on a hill to check out the "Hill descent" mode" sounds horrible on the brakes.

 

[Dustydog]

Actually, autohold just maintains the pressure in the brake pipes BUT after 2-3 minutes and especially if you are facing down a slope the full (hand) brake is applied and the green authold light changes to red. Had two Passat Estates and now have a Karoq and they all work(ed) like that.
You can of course just pull the handbrake switch and do it yourself!
Mercs, most BMWs, and Volvo's all do it as well.

Thanks very interesting.I need to do a Hutch test . Does it happen facing uphill? Never seen that on the Touareg but I will test it.

 

[Hutch]

Never thought about reverse brakes on a hill.
Youngest son with his new Defender, 3 litre V6, has been taking it through it's paces, to try and break it, since Christmas when he got it, Off road, Green lanes, etc. and JLR's track
As he was part of the exhaust, intake design team, he wants to know personally how it performs.
He has been told Managers cars "Should " be fairly clean. He thinks otherwise.
Just got to get him to let me take my Santa Fe round their test circuit.

 

[RogerL]

Not entirely caravan related, but....
I remember being taught that, as a matter of courtesy, when stopped at traffic lights/junctions etc, the handbrake should be applied and foot taken off the brake pedal in order to avoid dazzling vehicles behind.
Not many drivers seem to do it nowadays....and I must admit that, with an automatic I find it a bit of a pain.
Thoughts......?

A number of cars with stop/start and/or autohold apply the brakes automatically and some leave the brake lights illuminated.

After I had my cataracts done I found the car brake lights don't dazzle - so the fact that most people over 40 have cataracts starting may explain the dazzle thatmany drivers complain of.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve just had a demo of a feature that turns off brake lights. This evening I was heading on the A 419 towards Cricklade when blue lights appeared and both lanes ground to a halt. Substantial accident on the A420 turn off slip road. So I sat there in D with Hold on and reflected on the forecast 1.5 hr wait. After a few minutes the car beeped and the EPB came on. Brake lights went off. So there is some logic incorporated into the system.

 

[Martin_E]

I generally put it in neutral (rob comes on automatically) if sat at lights for a time, leaving it in drive uses a little more fuel. I think I have only used the hold grater a few times.

 

[Ferrodo]

For me it’s into neutral and hand brake on. Putting an auto box into park is risking a destroyed box if you are unfortunate enough to be rear ended.

 

[birdman101]

Majority of motors nowadays if the ignition is on, no matter what is applying the brake the brake light is on.

 

[Martin_E]

For me it’s into neutral and hand brake on. Putting an auto box into park is risking a destroyed box if you are unfortunate enough to be rear ended.

If I put mine in neutral it automatically goes into park

 

[Ferrodo]

If I put mine in neutral it automatically goes into park

Ahhh the modern age…….resistance is futile

 

[Martin_E]

Ahhh the modern age…….resistance is futile

These vehicles are far too clever, it does the same if I open the door as well. You can’t put the vehicle into reverse (engine on or off) and check the reversing lights are working, the only way I have found is either two people or garage door and see if it lights up 🤔