Keep cleaning those mirrors and lights people

[Butcher]

I do that, because it's not impossible for someone to rear-end a line of stationary traffic. Trying to push me forwards while I'm resting on the footbrake means getting all four tyres unstuck, whereas on the handbrake that's only the back two that need to be dragged. This extra friction acting while they're pushing me forward over the 1-1.5m between me and the car in front means that we lose some momentum, and over an entire line of traffic that means less chance of the unlucky person at the front getting newtons-cradled into the middle of the junction. More glare for the person behind me, but the bit they need to look around for (moving off) comes after I've started moving, which means I've already turned off my brake lights.

Totally different to leaving the fog lights on when they're not needed, since that involves glare for moving traffic

Or more likely, your foot is jolted off the brakes by the impact and you roll straight into the car in front.
Incidentally I was hit from behind about 18 months ago, with the handbrake on. My car didn't move at all, it broke the bumpers of both cars too, so not that soft an impact.

[kalniel]

Or more likely, your foot is jolted off the brakes by the impact and you roll straight into the car in front.
Incidentally I was hit from behind about 18 months ago, with the handbrake on. My car didn't move at all, it broke the bumpers of both cars too, so not that soft an impact.

A lot of cars come with electronic handbrakes now, and while I wasn't too sure initially, I wouldn't be without them now - the auto application/release has proven so convenient that I think they're almost akin to automatic gearboxes in terms of how much easier they make things (I would laugh if an examiner asked someone to do a hill start with one!). They also tend to auto apply the brakes if you are rear ended.

[Zak33]

So, if I'm understanding this rightly, when you stick it in Park, you then have to go past Reverse to get to Drive? Meaning your whites on the rear will flash on, scaring the driver behind you? HAHA!

thats how they all work, always have

[hb904460]

A couple of times when the lights have changed i have had 'members of an older generation' failure to reach D in their automatic and i have had to use my horn to alert them that travelling backwards would not be the wisest of moves.
Maybe the order of gears in an auto needs re-assessing? Having an order of D-N-P-R would be more logical to my mind and would make it more akin to a Starship!

[Tumble]

Also bear in mind that some autos require the brake pedal to be pressed before you can shift into drive or reverse.

[Butcher]

A couple of times when the lights have changed i have had 'members of an older generation' failure to reach D in their automatic and i have had to use my horn to alert them that travelling backwards would not be the wisest of moves.
Maybe the order of gears in an auto needs re-assessing? Having an order of D-N-P-R would be more logical to my mind and would make it more akin to a Starship!

It's a US regulation that the order is P-R-N-D-L, apparently brought in so that if the selector jumps out of D or L it can't jump into reverse (and vice versa). Also P at one end means you can easily guarantee the box is in park by just pushing the lever until it stops. Having to select an intermediate position is more error prone.

[Hoonigan]

(I would laugh if an examiner asked someone to do a hill start with one!).

I don't know what experience you have of driving in Glasgow, but there's some seriously steep hills near to the Central train station - an automatic handbrake on there, for hillstarting, is an absolute god-send! Though, saying that, I was never taught how to hill start in my lessons and wasn't put in a position to do one in my test.

[kalniel]

I don't know what experience you have of driving in Glasgow, but there's some seriously steep hills near to the Central train station - an automatic handbrake on there, for hillstarting, is an absolute god-send! Though, saying that, I was never taught how to hill start in my lessons and wasn't put in a position to do one in my test.

I agree they're a god-send for hill starts, that's my point Like using an automatic gearbox for a test involving changing gears.

[watercooled]

WRT brake lights - as far as I can remember, bus drivers seem to hold the foot brake down at lights? I know they're automatic but maybe shifting or applying the parking brake is awkward? They're not normally that bright but I do make an effort to glance away from them at night.