Hand brake. We use it too rarely

The roads are full of distracted drivers who, when parking, leave the car without a gear or parking brake. This causes the car to roll onto the road, roll down a hill, and sometimes even fall into a river or ditch.

We drag not only up the hill

Driving tests taught drivers to think that we only use the handbrake when we're on a hill and want the car not to roll away. Meanwhile, it is worth remembering about other applications.

– First of all, we use the parking brake for its main purpose, i.e. when parking. When leaving the car in a parking lot, remember to first engage or engage reverse gear and apply the parking brake. Even if we run the risk of having a brake freeze in winter, it is better to prevent the car from rolling, because the consequences of such neglect can be much worse than a possible brake repair, says Zbigniew Veseli, director of the Renault driving school.

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When stopping on a hill, be sure to apply the parking brake immediately, and then drive skillfully so as not to roll into the vehicle directly behind you. Failure to move uphill can lead to accidents, so it is important to learn how to use the handbrake in such a situation. In turn, when parking on a hill, in addition to pressing the brake, it is also worth turning the wheels so that when the car rolls down, it has a chance to stop on the curb, experts remind.

It is also worth applying the parking brake if you are stuck in a traffic jam. Then we do not blind the driver standing behind the brake lights. It's also a much more comfortable solution for ourselves, because we don't have to use the foot brake while standing and stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time.

When we forget about the brake

The consequences of leaving the car in gear and without the parking brake can be many, but they all have one thing in common - the car rolls without our intervention, and we have no control over it.

– When we leave a car in a parking lot without a gear and parking brake engaged, our car can roll onto the road and obstruct other vehicles, and in the worst case, cause an impact or other dangerous situation. Therefore, we must remember to check that we have applied the brakes and engaged a gear before getting out of the car, experts say.