On Sun, 22 Jul 2018 19:24:07 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

On Monday, 23 July 2018 01:06:52 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:

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 thats why its called the emergency brake, you use it when
the foot brake doesnt work, in that emergency. They dont mean that
you should use the handbrake instead of the foot brake in any
emergency.

Presumably they dont call it the parking brake so the less technical
people realise that it isnt just for parking, but also is available
when the foot brakes have failed. Not that that is at all common
anymore with modern cars having dual circuit hydraulic brakes that
dont all fail at once.

FWIW some early circuit brakes weren't properly independant and can fail
totally due to a single fault. Drivers of old cars beware. DAMHIK.

Go back further still to the Austin A30/A35, for example. The rear brakes
were operated by a mecahnical linkage from the handbrake lever. The
*same* linkage was operated by a single slave cylinder near the rear of
the chassis, in between the rear wheels. Failures in the linkage could
render the handbrake inoperative, and introduce enough travel into the
hydraulic system that it also would not operate as expected.

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