Driving with the handbrake on.....
- Thread starter floatindolphin
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Yeah, and more space for cup holders in the centre console 
My wife did something similar having just passed. She hadn't taken the HB off fully but the light was out. She was pulled over by some concerned fellow motorists having seen smoke pouring out of the rear wheels.
Shes swears now that it wasn't her.
Shes swears now that it wasn't her.
You just justified my reasoning, and no, I didn't really think about whether you'd care or not, why would I
What exactly makes someone stupid because they can't be bothered to read everyone elses comment on a subject? Surely the correct term is "lazy" or "too busy to read everyone's opinion, but feels like contributing the thread anyway"
Moving on...
Maybe it's the lack of cars I've driven, but surely a handbrake as a foot pedal would be an aweful idea, wouldn't you get whiplash or snap the cable by doing an emergency stop?
Personally I think the normal style handbrake works perfectly well. I drove a Passat recently that had a weird little "ashtray lid" type handbrake and that felt really weird
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Soldato
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The last thing you want to be using in an emergency stop is your handbrake.
Well obviously, my point being is, if the handbrake is a pedal, wouldn't inexperienced drivers automatically push it when they panic.
How many learner drivers hit the foot brake when they panic and don't hit the clutch as well
Man of Honour
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A handbrake just operates on the rear wheels as far as I'm aware which would make it a very bad idea to attempt to use it in an emergency stop. I'm not sure why it would be more likely to give you whiplash than doing an emergency stop with an ordinary footbrake though - if anything it should be less likely since you're braking with 2 out of 4 wheels rather than 4 out of 4 unless I'm misunderstanding your point.
Normal handbrakes work fine for most people sure but it's not necessarily a terrible idea to have a foot operated parking brake - it is perhaps easier to use with automatic cars but even that difference is likely to be negligible, you'd just get used to it.
I never said you should use it in an emergency stop, I'm saying panicing learners might.
Still seems weird to me, I may have to give one of these cars a drive to decide how weird it is lol
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It would make 360 hand brake turns while shooting out of the window harder.
Soldato
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It isn't instead of the brake and you'd have to be quite special to press it by mistake.
Foot operated parking brake - Hyundai
Foot operated parking brake - Toyota
Generally speaking it is a small pedal/level that is tucked out of the way so that it is usable when needed but not able to be used in a blind panic.
Easier surely? You have one hand on the wheel, one using the gun and your foot controlling the braking of the rear wheels whilst the other foot controls power and front brakes.
With the foot operated handbrake its not a full on pedal like your brake or throttle, its a little pedal on the left hand side next to the transmission tunnel. Its not in the way and you would never press it in an emergency. Once pressed the handbrake is on and you have to press a button or pull a small lever to release it.
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Yep, what he/she said ^^^
^^^
I think I would like it. Sometimes the handbrake can be a bit awkward. Especially in low cars.
Hill starts would be easier, and the shooting lol.
About the panicking learner.. They don't usually push the acceleration by accident.
Is that the right spelling for panicking? Did not know that! Spell check win
Hill starts would be easier, and the shooting lol.
About the panicking learner.. They don't usually push the acceleration by accident.
Is that the right spelling for panicking? Did not know that! Spell check win
Parking is an absolute bitch in manual cars / vans with foot handbrakes. Hill starts are a bit more difficult too.
Works well on auto's though
Come on folks, no arguments
I thought the foot/hand brake would be weird but I find it's brilliant. I guess it'd be harder to fit the pedal in on a manual car.
Most of the guys where I work have a new Mercedes C Class as their company vehicle and they all have these foot operated parking brakes with pull switch to disengage.
I thought they were a real PITA at first - I had to drive a few of them quite often and trying to do a hill start was ridiculous. Then I found out that if you pump the normal brake hard when stopping it 'locks' and displays HOLD on the dash until you pull away again, so I have less hatred for them now.
20 Miles :/
In my early days of driving I once left the handbrake a bit on (Just one or 2 clicks) and did notice the car was slowing down a bit quicker but only really noticed it was the handbrake after about 1 mile of driving, the reason: I smelled somethting at the first traffic lights and the second time I stopped at traffic lights I looked in my mirror and saw smoke coming from my rear wheels
.
Nothing went wrong that time, but 20 miles ? I can imagine the brakes got quite hot. I still think there probably hasn't happened much but brake (pad or shoes) wear, but you can cook your disc I guess.
In my early days of driving I once left the handbrake a bit on (Just one or 2 clicks) and did notice the car was slowing down a bit quicker but only really noticed it was the handbrake after about 1 mile of driving, the reason: I smelled somethting at the first traffic lights and the second time I stopped at traffic lights I looked in my mirror and saw smoke coming from my rear wheels
.Nothing went wrong that time, but 20 miles ? I can imagine the brakes got quite hot. I still think there probably hasn't happened much but brake (pad or shoes) wear, but you can cook your disc I guess.
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