Hand brake - Learner driver

loskie

I like Volvos but the electric parking brake is to the RH of the steering wheel (bad position) You push it to apply the brake and pull to release which is the wrong way round.
The lease Astra I had had it in the centre console. Far more logical and easy to adapt to.
But you cannot beat a proper old school handbrake. Progress for the sake of what?

Car_54

sevenhills wrote: »

I took my daughter out in my car for the first time, she seemed unsure about when to use the handbrake.
Is there a clear rule about when to use it?

Why doesn't she ask her instructor? That's what she's paying him for.

Also, she's more likely to get the right answer from him than from random collection of strangers.

However, if his answer is much different from what Lister advises in post #7 then she should look for a new instructor.

Norman_Castle

loskie wrote: »

The lease Astra I had had it in the centre console. Far more logical and easy to adapt to.
But you cannot beat a proper old school handbrake.

I drove a new Astra with an electric handbrake, really confused me. Old dog, new tricks.

AnotherJoe

daveyjp wrote: »

What do you do when you put a handbrake on? Pull or push the handle?

I flip a switch, there isnt a handle.
If I had one of many US cars ive driven, Id press down with my left foot to operate and press down again to release
If I had the new Nissan Leaf it would come on automatically.

Not all cars these days have clunky ratchet operated pull up handles.

sevenhills

Car_54 wrote: »

Why doesn't she ask her instructor? That's what she's paying him for.

Also, she's more likely to get the right answer from him than from random collection of strangers.

However, if his answer is much different from what Lister advises in post #7 then she should look for a new instructor.

The instructor has obviously not taught her correctly, each instructor is just one person working on there own.

Gloomendoom

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Not all cars these days have clunky ratchet operated pull up handles.

Indeed. The "hand" brake in my car is operated by my foot and released by pulling a lever. It cannot be progressively released. It is either on or off.

I only use it when parked.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

Assuming that the OP is a little rusty, they are probably quite competent but they are rightly recognising that the expectations on the test are different.

The Merc has a hold system where a second press on the brake applies the brakes until you drive off, but as has been pointed out, that leaves the brake lights on. It is likely an A180 or similar and therefore has an electronic handbrake. The main thing with either of these systems is that they do not need to be released, you drive off doing nothing.

I would suggest that there is an element of different techniques for different cars, but for learning to drive, I would tend to ignore the footbrake hold system - just be aware that it can engage - and stick with using the electronic handbrake. The main advantage of either system is that hill starts are a doddle as the brakes don't release until the car pulls away.

I would recommend that the OP has a read through the highway code, but that will not tell them the driving techniques expected. The OP should not assume that they know best and if there is a difference of opinion, encourage the learner to go with the instructor advice (once they have established that they have understood correctly). Examples where drivers may get caught out are things like queuing for right turns at lights - not advancing across the stop line if there are already 2 cars queuing; ensuring that the learner makes good progress rather than allowing them to dither just in case (e.g. waiting for an empty roundabout rather than joining when there are other cars on the roundabout that are not in conflict) and so on.

tastyhog

elsien wrote: »

The car may be a Merc? You mean you're not sure?

so what has pointing this out got to do with the question at hand, which is when should a handbrake be used.

tastyhog

Warwick_Hunt wrote: »

Assuming you actually have a licence, why do you need to ask?

don't tell me you drive the same way you did when you learnt to drive, because you'd be a liar.

loskie

Electric handbrakes Pah!

All the yoofs will be missing out the fun of doing handbrake turns. Generations missing the fun I had in the late 80's