Leaving car in gear while parked- yes or no?
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I have a niece who was trapped between two cars at traffic lights in icy weather. Car in front was waiting for green, car behind came up too fast, lost control and shoved hers into the front car. Her handbrake was off and she came out of it with severe whiplash injury and lifelong spinal problems, due to a double shunt into both cars. Front car had hanbrake on, did not move when she was pushed into it. She rebounded again, back into the car behind, which was trying to reverse away.
Thanks for sharing that story, I only use handbrake at lights if on a hill. I will now think to use it at all times.0 -
jimmy_cricket wrote: »One of our neighbours came running out of the house shouting at my partner as to why he was leaning against the bonnet of his car. The response was that my partner was walking past and saw the car starting to move. Parked on handbrake only...
People have died doing this, after they get squashed between car and wall usually.
I have an OLD automatic that requires the gearbox to be in park before I can get the key out, and really don't need the handbrake at all.
I my wife's car, I tend to turn the wheels towards the kurb and leave it in gear if it's parked on a slope. But we live in a flat bit of the UK so don't need to worry.0 -
Always park in gear. Reverse is lowest gear so most resistance, I usually park in 1st though. Was it Vauxhall that had cars where the handbrake kept slipping off?0
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jimmy_cricket wrote: »One of our neighbours came running out of the house shouting at my partner as to why he was leaning against the bonnet of his car. The response was that my partner was walking past and saw the car starting to move. Parked on handbrake only...Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »People have died doing this, after they get squashed between car and wall usually.
Yes it should never be done. Cars can be replaced, people can't.
However I think that is easier said than done, most people want to help and try to avoid an accident if they can see it occurring. It is natural instinct to step in to try to stop it.0 -
building_with_lego wrote: »Cool, that seems fairly conclusive then! In my (novice) head the impact would have ground the wheels back and done goodness knows what to the box, but my mind is more at ease.
I've even heard of people parking gearbox only while on the flat. Makes sense if the above posts are accurate.
Gearbox only is illegal. You must apply the parking brake.0 -
Gearbox only is illegal. You must apply the parking brake.
Since when? What if your parking brake only actuates the gearbox the same as leaving it in gear?
Try an old Land Rover with the handbrake on the gearbox, you can move it a foot or more before it stops.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0 -
forgotmyname wrote: »Since when? What if your parking brake only actuates the gearbox the same as leaving it in gear?
Try an old Land Rover with the handbrake on the gearbox, you can move it a foot or more before it stops.
Since when? - certainly for my lifetime. The current legislation is the C & U Regs 1986 107(1): "Save as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall leave, or cause or permit to be left, on a road a motor vehicle which is not attended by a person licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and any parking brake with which the vehicle is required to be equipped is effectively set. "
In the Highway Code which you studied for your test it's rule 239.0 -
forgotmyname wrote: »Since when? What if your parking brake only actuates the gearbox the same as leaving it in gear?
Try an old Land Rover with the handbrake on the gearbox, you can move it a foot or more before it stops.
The handbrake on old LRs was a prop shaft clamp. It was on the ones used by the military in the 60s & 70s at least. I found out the hard way that trying to do a handbrake turn is a good way of removing the prop shaft. This was as the days when the driver's seat was the fuel tank.0 -
Someone on another forum made a point about mechanical sympathy regarding leaving the car in gear. When you apply the handbrake and remove your foot from the footbrake, the car rolls a little in taking up the slop in the handbrake mechanism.
If you are in gear when doing this, the weight can then be held by the transmission (not sure exactly which components might suffer due to this, clutch bearings?) rather than the handbrake. So the ideal procedure would be to apply handbrake, release footbrake, and only then put it into gear.0 -
Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »People have died doing this, after they get squashed between car and wall usually.
I have an OLD automatic that requires the gearbox to be in park before I can get the key out, and really don't need the handbrake at all.
I my wife's car, I tend to turn the wheels towards the kurb and leave it in gear if it's parked on a slope. But we live in a flat bit of the UK so don't need to worry.
That's very dangerous. The parking pawl in the auto box is not designed to hold the full weight of the vehicle while parked - it could easily snap and the car roll off. Always use the handbrake0
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