Using the brake pedal at traffic lights?

Trebor16

Strider590 wrote: »

Or a Trollbor....

When you start to make personal derogatory comments without addressing the issues raised it tends to tell us that your argument has been shot down in flames and has no credence.;)

Strider590

Trebor16 wrote: »

When you start to make personal derogatory comments it tends to tell us that your argument has been shot down in flames and has no credence.;)

Au contraire, the derogatory comments came from the Trolls mouth so to speak....... I'm merely not playing ball

Reminds me of a famous quotation by Mark Twain.

StrangelyBrown

I like a good internet rant as much as the next man, but I try and avoid these protacted 'debates'.
Mainly because arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics:
Even if you win... you're still !!!!!!.

Strider590

StrangelyBrown wrote: »

I like a good internet rant as much as the next man, but I try and avoid these protacted 'debates'.
Mainly because arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics:
Even if you win... you're still !!!!!!.

Hey that's mine!!

I don't mind a debate, but when people start dragging unrelated stuff into the mix, in a poor attempt to add credence to their own claims, or even just for the sake of trolling.... Then I find it tends to get a bit messy.

I guess it's my own fault that I don't leave the grammar Police enough to go, thus it escalates to personal stuff

fivetide

TrickyWicky wrote: »

I learned in a manual and I always applied the handbrake at the red lights.

That said, I switched to an automatic a few years back and with those you don't have that option. You stop at the lights and hold it using the brake pedal. On some autos if you use the handbrake while you're still in drive it will still pull the car along (especially downhill) yet you can't realistically keep moving from D to N and back all the time either.

Hence the mention of the 'hold' function (which I know of but have never used) developed by Mercedes I would expect.

Mercedes also recommend keepign the car in D and not swapping between N and D. I wouldn't condsider going for the P setting, that really it parked up, engine off.



Regarding a hazard flash thanks, I have no issue with that at all, courtesy and all. The only one that does bother me is if it is dark and you let someone past a blocakge (parked cars for example) on their side of the road.

Rather than wave, and before they've got back onto their side of the road they give you that little 'thank you' burst of full beam right in the face. Clowns.

5t.

keys_2

I passed my driving test on Monday ...However i have been driving { legally } for a number of years now with a passenger on a provisional license . It wasnt till early this year I decided to have a few lessons with an instructor and put in for my test { as its costly }

I have been taught not to put the handbrake on as i used to , unless your car is going to roll{ on a hill etc } - this meaning you do not have full control of the vehicle . To prevent delaying other road users I have been taught to stay in first gear with handbrake off - which also shows you are anticipating and prepared for what is going on around you .

Also you are allowed to flash - and be flashed at - As it is more about body language to look for in other drivers [ same at cross roads or where nobody has the right of way}

I was also told that the reason behind people being taught to use the handbrake years ago was down to cost - whereas now footbrakes are easy to get hold of more now and cheaper to purchase .

To always see the floor under the wheels of the car infront incase of emergency so you can manovere around the car in front .

almillar

Lum - understood - but surely whilst the bulb is burning it's using up the gas inside...

Brake discs/pads - no, no 'wear' is occurring - as I said, if you've been braking hard a lot your brake pads and discs will be warm. if you stop, and sit with your foot on the pedal, you're firstly not getting the cooling airflow from the movement of the car, and secondly, you're squeezing ONE POINT on the disc from both sides with hot pads - this COULD cause the disc to warp. The disc warping is more likely if it's old and worn (no discs aren't meant to wear, but yes, they do!).

fivetide - ask anyone who has been to a trackday - it's absolutely not an urban myth. If you're just tootling around town, it's unlikely to come up, but it's just bad practice.

Wolfehouse - depends on the specific model of car and gearbox, but whether in an auto or not, the brake lights should be off. Put your auto into neutral just like in a manual and put your handbrake on.

busiscoming2 - as Lum and Obukit say, not if everyone paid attention, no! Especially if the people at the front pay attention intead of just sitting there when the light turns green!

TrickyWicky - I understand about wear, but I'm not whinging about wear on my handbrake or gearbox. I understand about the delay in selecting, and the reverse light flashing too on some autos, but the same basic rule applys, if you're stopped for more than a moment, you should go into neutral and apply the handbrake. If you pay attention to what's going on around you, you'll have plenty of time to get into 1st/D and get the handbrake off.

thefishdude - um, that only applies if there's no-one behind you!

keys - congratulations on the pass, DESPITE your driving instructor.

jase1

fivetide wrote: »

Rather than wave, and before they've got back onto their side of the road they give you that little 'thank you' burst of full beam right in the face. Clowns.

5t.

In those circumstances I 'blink' the lights onto sidelights briefly. Achieves the same effect but doesn't blind anyone.

adouglasmhor

NBLondon wrote: »

You live and learn! I've seen that happen a few times at lights and been startled for a second. In fact, it's more worrying if the traffic lights have changed and we're about to set off.

I haven't driven an automatic for years but can't you put the stick in N, handbrake on and foot off?

Is there a standard order? My mental picture says P N 1 2 D R ...

Mine's P R N D 4 3 L so there is at least one non standard make, I do N and handbrake unless I am facing up on a steep slope where I can use D and the W button to hold it in place.

colino

keys, I'm more than a bit surprised, for someone who has just passed the test that you have been instructed incorrectly on a couple of points. In a manual car, if you know you will be halted for more than a few seconds, whether traffic lights, policemans signal or even a junction, you should put the handbrake on and into neutral. Then, anticipating your onward progress, you go through the into gear, biting point exercise.
Similary flashing headlights means only one thing, "I am here". It's not common useage or what's OK, it simply doesn't, no matter what other users think or do, have any other relevance.

On the point about driving autos, by all means put the handbrake on (if its still a manual one!) but don't bother slipping it in and out of "gear". There's quite enough slippage in the mechanism to make sure the car doesn't rocket down the road, but the act of mechanically moving the lever accelerates wear in the box.