Foot-operated Parking brake and Driving Test

jimbo6977

My current daily-driver has a foot-operated parking brake and a manual clutch/gearbox.

When I have reason to stop, I have to take the car out of gear before I can apply the parking brake with my left foot.

But this is the wrong order compared to how I was taught to drive ("handbrake on, out of gear" / secure the car first).

So would it be impossible to pass a driving test in such a car?

Car_54

What make and model? I'm guessing an older Merc. I'm also guessing it's a hypothetical question.

DoaM

I'm sure a driving examiner would take account of the vehicle control requirements whilst conducting a test. Surely it's just a matter of making sure the examiner is aware?

Supersonos

Keep your foot on the brake the whole time and I can't see there'd be a problem. You'd be in control of the car the whole time.

marlot

What does the car handbook say?


As you clearly can't have two feet on three pedals at the same time, you have to put the car in neutral and release the clutch, whilst keeping you other foot on the footbrake.

Dr_Crypto

I remember these on my Dad's Mercs in the 80s/90s. They were always autos and I certainly wasn't allowed to drive them so no idea how it was meant to be done!

Mercdriver

My 2010 E class had a foot operated parking brake.

DoaM

If it's anything like the Passat I had as a hire car years ago:

right foot on the brake, left foot on the clutch
engage neutral
left foot off the clutch and on to the parking brake (to the left of the clutch)

"Handbrake" is now engaged so right foot can be removed from the brake pedal (and left foot from the parking brake).

missile

What a crazy system :-0, but I suppose it works better in LHD cars.

reeac

missile wrote: »

What a crazy system :-0, but I suppose it works better in LHD cars.

All the lhd cars that I've driven have the same pedal arrangement as do rhd ones (thankfully). Or was it just a jokey comment?

DoaM

reeac wrote: »

Or was it just a jokey comment?

Hopefully so ... as all cars I've encountered (LHD or RHD) have had the same pedal layout .. (L to R):

Clutch (except on automatics)
Foot Brake
Accelerator