In article , Mortimer
writes
"SpamTrapSeeSig" wrote in message
. ..
In article , Mortimer
writes
and brake lights kept permanently on when drivers are stationary in a
queue of traffic. Why can't people use ther handbrake rather than
footbrake when they are stopped at traffic lights?

Blame Volvo and the EU: one introduced them, the other mandated them.
I doubt there's a shred of evidence that high-mounted central brake lights
are a net safety improvement.

Actually it's the low-level brake lights that are the real problem; the
high-level central one can be hidden by a suitably-placed sun-visor!

Another thing that offends my sense of symmetry, though it's not distracting
in itself, is the trend for some modern cars to have just one rear fog light
and one reversing light. The last few cars that I have owned (VW Golf and
Peugeot 306) had two bulb-holders and "lenses" for the fog lights but only
had a bulb fitted on one side - luckily it was easy to fit the missing bulb.

Incidentally, if you think it's bad here, North America is dreadful, as
most cars are autos and people sit for minutes at a time with a foot on
the brake pedal, at traffic lights.

Exactly. Are people too lazy to apply the handbrake and/or shift the lever
into neutral or park? Evidently they are. When I was taught to drive, the
instructor drilled into me the need to put the car in neutral (or park or
neutral for an auto, though he was very scathing about automatic
transmissions!) and to apply the handbrake so I could avoid blinding the car
behind with my brake lights, and that has stayed with me 25 years later.
Paradoxically I understand that some recent automatic transmissions should
not be left in neutral at traffic lights because the cooling oil doesn't
circulate properly, which makes you wonder a) why they have a neutral
setting, and b) why this design flaw hasn't been fixed.

On many US cars that I've driven the parking brake has been a ratchet
foot pedal. 'Park' has other implications too. I don't think you could
safely use it at the lights. Even if the parking brake is a handbrake,
it's very hard to use it on the road without a clutch, as you can't set
the revs against it, etc.

I hate automatic cars, but I've never managed to hire a manual, despite
being told in several locations that they were available.

--
SimonM
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