"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...
NY wrote
Rod Speed wrote

It isnt just one of those, no reason why you cant do
both but don’t turn the ignition off. And it isnt just the
handbrake either, the normal brakes should be used too.

I wouldn't touch the handbrake. Why should a weak brake that has
bugger-all effect on slowing down a car that is moving (in my experience)
be any better than the much more powerful footbrake which acts on all
four wheels?

The handbrake on my Getz very effective. If you try to drive off without
releasing
the handbrake the whole car sort of just squats, doesn’t move at all.

There's a bit of difference between trying to set off from rest (when I
agree most handbrakes will make a big difference and the car may just squat)
and applying it when the car is already moving at high speed. Handbrakes are
usually pretty good at holding the car, even on a hill, when they are
stationary, but very poor at slowing down a moving car. I tend to leave my
car in first/reverse gear if I'm parking on a very steep hill, as an added
safeguard - the equivalent of leaving an automatic in Park.

I think the US use of the term "emergency brake" is very misleading. I
wouldn't use it in an emergency except as a last resort after I've tried
footbrake.

Sure, but that’s why its called the emergency brake,
you use it when the foot brake doesn’t work, in that
emergency. They don’t mean that you should use the
handbrake instead of the foot brake in any emergency.

The way you see people tugging at the handbrake in US films makes me think a
lot of people think you should use it in every emergency ;-)