After I had picked up my client this morning, and was driving back here.

He commented, that I use my handbrake a lot, when stationary, and he reckoned I'd used mine more in the eight mile journey: than he had in his 22 years of driving! Claiming he only applies it when parked up.

Never really thought about how much I use it, until he mentioned it. Which made me wonder, if I'm the only one who does so?

I was under the impression, that when stopped at lights or in a queue, it minimised the damage you could do to the vehicle in front. When, someone who hadn't noticed the stationary traffic, or was distracted, and subsequently ploughed into your tailgate. As now they have to shunt the whole dead weight of your car forwards.

Whereas, if your applying just the footbrake, whilst you're locking all four wheels, the shock of impact causes you to briefly release it - causing you to smack the vehicle behind.

Am I alone in this application of the handbrake? And indeed, is my theory of minimising other's rear damage correct?

I always apply the handbrake when stationary and out of gear.

Unless I know I am about to move off again.

I thought this was going somewhere else to be honest, Thought this is surely a topic to get locked :D. Thought it was going to be a hooligan driving topic .

I don't use it much if I am honest. I usually hold it on the bite ready to move off. Don't get me wrong I obviously do use it. I think its possibly down to when you past your driving test too. As the driving test has changed sometimes.

It's easily possible to fail a driving test for incorrect use of the handbrake, either using it when you should not, or not using it when you should.

Bottom line is that the handbrake is there to keep the car anchored when there is no need for the car to move or the reasonably immediate opportunity of the car moving.

Unless you have hill assist, you can't properly (and safely) move off facing uphill without a handbrake either.

Even if you are "pro" at catching the bite, it won't do the clutch any good.

 

I always apply the handbrake when stationary and out of gear.

Unless I know I am about to move off again.

Almost the same, except I'm not in neutral, I have the clutch depressed

 

 

I thought this was going somewhere else to be honest, Thought this is surely a topic to get locked :D. Thought it was going to be a hooligan driving topic .

I don't use it much if I am honest. I usually hold it on the bite ready to move off. Don't get me wrong I obviously do use it. I think its possibly down to when you past your driving test too. As the driving test has changed sometimes.

When I passed, seat belts weren't even mandatory

Every stop I apply the handbrake even if I'm about to move off, just got in a habit of doing it but I like the feeling of not having to worry about any rolling back

whats a handbrake :D

Useful for sharpe turns in car parks especially when there's a little bit of white stuff on the floor

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I use mine a lot, usually for impressing the 18 year old lasses who's knickers just fall to the floor at the mere thought of a handbrake being used in a manor not intended by the driving standards agency. Being in a Ford they can't resist their urges when such piddly things as 1.0 Corsa's try their mating ritual of going backwards down the hill on the way to Maccy's.

I use my handbrake a lot, anytime I'm going to be stationary for a little while (red lights, level crossings, traffic jams).

I also put it in neutral.

I was taught to as it -

1) reduces risk to car in front in a rear end shunt.

2) reduces hot spots building up on the brake discs which could lead to "warping" or deposits forming.

3) sitting behind someone with brake lights shining in my face at night is really annoying, so I don't do it to others.

and

4) having had a clutch slave cylinder fail while sat in traffic and in gear, I never leave it in gear any more!!

I used to do handbrake turns in my Corsa & Astra quite often (in an empty industrial estate) but never had the stones to do it to the focus cause tyres are darn expensive and I cannot bear the though of hurting the old girl :P . Unless ofcourse its icy :P

Otherwise I always use the hanbrake when stopped, I was a passenger in an accident where the car behind hit us at like 30/35MPH and my dad had just put the handbrake on which stopped us from badly smashing the car in front up.

On 11/23/2015 at 8:27 PM, b1g_dav3 said:

I use mine a lot, usually for impressing the 18 year old lasses who's knickers just fall to the floor at the mere thought of a handbrake being used in a manor not intended by the driving standards agency. Being in a Ford they can't resist their urges when such piddly things as 1.0 Corsa's try their mating ritual of going backwards down the hill on the way to Maccy's.

LMAO 

It doesn't matter if you learned to drive last year or like me 37 years ago. You use the handbrake whenever stationary. Problem is so many people have company cars and don't care about wearing out the clutch. I don't like my wife using my car for that reason. She can knacker her own car.

Should always use the handbrake when you've come to a stop. If you just sit on the brakes, after slowing down it can cause damage to the discs and pads as they are hot after use and doesn't do them any good to stay pressed together when hot.

As my instructor taught me, 'when a pause becomes a wait, apply the handbrake'.

So I slow the car with the pedal, and if I'm waiting more than 5 seconds on average with no immediate moving, them handbrake goes on.

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always use mine 

Rarely use mine tbh...diesel torque ftw.

I don't tend to sit in stationary traffic though admittedly!  If its obvious I'll be sat for several seconds I'll use it.  I learnt to live with a useless handbrake on one of my earlier cars and still feel safer on hills using the footbrake even now.

I use it whenever possible as I hate it when people are sat infront of me at lights (especially in the dark) with their foot on the brake for a good minute or two. Give your foot a rest man! 

Was sat behind an A-Class in stop start traffic last week, behind them for around 25 minutes. It was literally stop (for a minute), move 10 yards, stop for another minute - no continuous movement. However, in the black of the night, they were adamant of blinding me with their glowing lights. Safe to say I had headache within 10 minutes and ended up putting my sun visor down! 

 

Handbrakes are there for more than parking :( 

Being an A class it was almost certainly an automatic with an elderly driver...

21 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Being an A class it was almost certainly an automatic with an elderly driver...

Indeed!  Although, automatics in general are guilty of creeping along in traffic without fully releasing the foot-brake and therefore constantly illuminating the brake lamps. 

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Being an A class it was almost certainly an automatic with an elderly driver...

Maybe! Although seen a lot of younger people driving them now with the adverts merc are pushing for their PCP's and Leases. Was just baffling me on how unaware they were - a driver next to be even looked and shook their head after some time! I didn't like that Merc :(