Why apply foot brake when stopped in traffic?

RangeR

Hi guys,

I'd like to get opinions from other drivers as to why you [if it applies to you] apply the foot brake rather than the handbrake while stuck in traffic?

Do you not realise that it creates quite a dazzling effect to drivers behind you, especially in wet weather? Some of the cars out there have exceptionally bright rear brake lights.

Anan1

You're less likely to get whiplash if hit from behind with the foot brake on, rather than the handbrake. I just don't look at the brake lights of the car in front when i'm stopped.

Blazer

The only reason I don't do this is because apparently the hot brakes can actually damage the break pads in bmw's etc so now it's always handbrake.

Danbo!

RangeR wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'd like to get opinions from other drivers as to why you [if it applies to you] apply the foot brake rather than the handbrake while stuck in traffic?

Do you not realise that it creates quite a dazzling effect to drivers behind you, especially in wet weather? Some of the cars out there have exceptionally bright rear brake lights.

I almost never use my handbrake, except when parking up and in the situation you mentioned at night. It does annoy me when people pull the handbrake and go to neutral every time they stop.

One thing I cant stand is sitting in traffic, say 5th in the row, lights go green and the first 3 move off, then you see number 4 putting in gear and the shoulder drop handbrake off motion.

Mena

Because I drive an automatic and "stopped in traffic" is usually under 10 seconds before we're moving off again.

listermint

Blazer wrote: »

The only reason I don't do this is because apparently the hot brakes can actually damage the break pads in bmw's etc so now it's always handbrake.

Yes this might be true if your driving an M3 around the track. Or driving insanely outrunning the law.

But in a 520 (which is all you tend to see on the roads) its not very likely to damage anything.

Interceptor

Blazer wrote: »

The only reason I don't do this is because apparently the hot brakes can actually damage the break pads in bmw's etc so now it's always handbrake.

Unless you are lapping the Nurburgring you really don't need to worry about this. In normal traffic you will struggle to get either pads or discs up to high temperatures.

Matt Simis

listermint wrote: »

Yes this might be true if your driving an M3 around the track. Or driving insanely outrunning the law.

But in a 520 (which is all you tend to see on the roads) its not very likely to damage anything.

Yes and the bigger BMWs have brake vents too to cool the brake discs and pads (people say even these are not needed on most track events). I brake to a stop, then release to roll slightly and rebrake in a different spot and hold, to just satisfy the slim chance of cooking the pads.

I use the handbrake when parked only.

RangeR

RangeR wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'd like to get opinions from other drivers as to why you [if it applies to you] apply the foot brake rather than the handbrake while stuck in traffic?

..............

I do it as it can create a dazzling effect as I have exceptionally bright rear brake lights, especially in wet weather.

RangeR

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

Professey Chin

i always use the handbrake if I know Im gonna be stationary for a couple minutes (like traffic lights where the junction takes a few minutes to go around)
Not entirely sure why I do it, just how I was taught

MugMugs

I was shown how to drive by my father who SCREAMED blue murder at me if I didn't engage the Handbrake. Even if only stopped for a few seconds. I get a little scared even now if I don't put the handbrake on.

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

Why ? That's just really rude and somewhat illegal ?

Bruthal

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

That seems like silly carry on there, the full beams at people holding their brakes on. What does that achieve?

Wossack

time to release foot brake and get moving < time to release handbrake and get moving

If I know Im going to be stationary for more then 30 secs or so, Ill use the handbrake - otherwise you'll just have to get used to my brakelights Im afraid

and if ye put on your full beams to encourage handbrake usage - rear view mirror gets dipped, and my rear fog goes on :pac:

puppetmaster

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

If your close enough for high brake light to dazzle in traffic, wouldn't you be close enough for your full beams to have no affect on the driver in front?

RangeR

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

In built up areas?

stimpson

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

I would counter this by folding in my mirrors and putting on my rear fogs.

Your move.

Blazer

listermint wrote: »

Yes this might be true if your driving an M3 around the track. Or driving insanely outrunning the law.

But in a 520 (which is all you tend to see on the roads) its not very likely to damage anything.

sweet..now I can back to blinding people behind me
thanks guys

Vertakill

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

You're some clown if you do that.
What the person in front is doing is completely normal, yet what you're doing is completely illegal.

Maybe you should get your eyes tested for irregularities. If brake lights 'dazzle you in wet weather', there's clearly something wrong and you're eyes are too sensitive.

PS. Driving instructors specifically state you should only be using your handbrake if you're planning on staying stationary for more than 5 seconds.
Even still, I rarely do that as it can delay moving off at traffic lights.

Wolverine_1999

I've had 2 people drive into me from behind when stationary, therefore, I always press the brakes so unless the driver is completely blind as a bat, they can see me and stop in time...

Matt Simis

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

Well this thread just took a turn towards retarded. :rolleyes:

Wolverine_1999 wrote: »

I've had 2 people drive into me from behind when stationary, therefore, I always press the brakes so unless the driver is completely blind as a bat, they can see me and stop in time...

Good point, almost happened to me too, many times. If I had used the handbrake (no signal to traffic behind you are stopped) alone, I think I would have been rear ended at least once.

I will only use handbrake if I'm on a steep hill. Otherwise, I will just use footbrake.

I just fell more in control, don't know why.

While taking lessons, my instructor always told me to put on handbrake, but I just never did.

Also, most of the time I waiting at light, I rarely stop completely for the entire red light. I normally know when the light are about to change and start creeping slowly.

Matt Simis

Matt Simis wrote: »

Well this thread just took a turn towards retarded. :rolleyes:............

I wanted to say that

Gumbo

Ive an Auto, so foot brake 99% of the time, or if i know the light sequence, i'll stick it into P.

leeroybrown

I'll put on the handbrake if I know I'll be stationary for some time at a long light sequence but otherwise you can put up with my brake lights for a few seconds. If I'm the last stopped in the queue car I'll leave the foot brake so some half asleep driver behind me won't assume I'm moving and forget to stop in time.

Tea 1000

Deleted User wrote: »

Also, most of the time I waiting at light, I rarely stop completely for the entire red light. I normally know when the light are about to change and start creeping slowly.

Why? In an automatic I'd understand, but in a manual all you're doing is cooking your clutch. I really don't get creepers at lights. This idea of stopping, then after a few seconds creeping forward? I always stop until the light is green and people are moving. It's not that hard! Usually the creepers are the slowest to actually go too!

inforfun

Lights i know that will be red for a while, i use the hand brake where i need to use brakes in order to stay at the same spot i stopped.
Otherwise foot brake or nothing depending on situation.

McGrath5

I only use the handbrake when parking the car, footbrake for me when sitting in traffic etc.

dr.fuzzenstein

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

If anyone did that to me, I would just turn on my rear foglights.
And on the CMax they are eye-level, two of them and very bright. Enjoy!
Idiotic, no one will know what you're on about and just assume that there's some ass-hat behind them who is either stupid or being a dick and will either do the above, start driving slowly on purpose or decide to get out for a little "talk". (Not me personally, but you have to be careful what "elements" of society you annoy these days)
Even though I have to agree that on some cars the brake lights are WAY to bright, once had a Merc in front of me, it nearly burnt my retinas it was that bright. I think he had LED brake lights.
But I don't blame the driver for that.
To me, putting the car into neutral and wrenching the handbrake up as far as she'll go is the same as that retarded steering wheel "shuffle" that only 85 year old Grannies will do.
This however only applies if you are within the first 5 cars at the lights.
If you are 5 or more cars back and you know the light is going to be red for a while, sure, why not. Plenty of time to wrestle with it once it's green, but I find that (just like looking for the purse only when you're at the checkout), these people don't pay attention and only start disengaging the brake after the car in front of them has already started to move.

andrew163

Wossack wrote: »

time to release foot brake and get moving < time to release handbrake and get moving

Eh?

I try to always use the handbrake if it looks like I'll be stopped for more than 5 seconds or so. I keep a foot hovering over (not resting on) the accelerator pedal and a hand on the brake lever to be ready to go when things do move. It definitely does not take longer than using the foot brake - two simultaneous motions as opposed to two sequential motions.

Brake lights on new Audis (and a few others) are horribly bright. It may just be the positioning of them, but you can't just not look at them when your windscreen is a sea of blinding red. They actually hurt to be stuck behind in a traffic jam at night.

CiniO

I only use my handbrake for 3 reasons.

1. Parking on hills.
2. If I need to get out of the car for a second while leaving engine running on neutral.
3. For doing U-turns or for playing in the snow

RustyNut

One of the main reasons for using the hand brake when stopped in traffic is to prevent you rolling into other vehicles, ped's etc in the event you get hit from behind knocking your foot off the stop pedal.

keithclancy

Only use the Handbrake when my foot gets tired.

If I'm on the Autobahn and theres noone behind me while i'm stopped i'll stick the hazards on too. When they can see me and slow down i'll turn the hazards off.

Never been dazzled by Brake lights either

ongarite

kceire wrote: »

Ive an Auto, so foot brake 99% of the time, or if i know the light sequence, i'll stick it into P.

Same here, driving an auto.
I'll have my foot on the brake 99% of time unless I know I'm stuck going nowhere for a while.

Big Nasty

I have to agree that I find the brake lights in a lot of newer cars exceptionally bright at night, especially in rainy weather. I've been driving autos for years now and usually put the car in park if I'm stopping for more than a few seconds.

Have to add that I don't do this out of consideration for other drivers, more that I'm too lazy to sit there pushing the brake pedal! :pac:

paddydriver

Thought the only time the handbrake is used is when doing the driving test:D

I think the OP is trolling TBH - what kind of idiot puts on their full beams cause someone puts on their brakelights... Mind you, if his username is anything to go by he probably falls into that bracket:p

the_syco

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

If someone did that to me, I'd probably get out of my stopped car and ask them why they are doing it.

I put the handbrake on if I know I'll be in the traffic for a while, and/or on a hill. Also put it on if the last in the line of traffic.

I hate those in the front of the queue for the traffic lights with a handbrake on, and don't take off the handbrake until after the light goes green, and/or after I hold the horn down :mad:

mad muffin

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

In that case I put my rear fog light on too and when traffic starts I slowly move off…very, very slowly.

Another auto driver here and I never put the handbrake on.

I occasionally drive an auto merc which doesn't have a "handbrake" per se but has a footbreak making it slightly more pointless to use at traffic lights and the likes.

Mikko Mallikas

Originally Posted by RangeR
I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

That would actually work if you did it behind me when my brake lights were on, I would release the footbrake as a result of your actions, as it would mean I would be applying the handbrake and getting out of the car, everyone's happy

Tabnabs

the_syco wrote: »

I hate those in the front of the queue for the traffic lights with a handbrake on, and don't take off the handbrake until after the light goes green, and/or after I hold the horn down :mad:

That's just silly, how are they supposed to pre-empt when the light will go green?

sean1141

robbie7730 wrote: »

That seems like silly carry on there, the full beams at people holding their brakes on. What does that achieve?

Two broken headlights if you do it behind the wrong person :D

sean1141

Tabnabs wrote: »

That's just silly, how are they supposed to pre-empt when the light will go green?

when the traffic coming the other way stops???

Honey-ec

Tabnabs wrote: »

That's just silly, how are they supposed to pre-empt when the light will go green?

Because the vast majority of people drive the same routes on an extremely regular basis and would be expected to have some idea of the light sequence. And even if they're at a brand new junction they've never seen before in their life, as sean1141 said, all they have to do is keep an eye on the lights at the rest of the junction. It's not blinkin' rocket science.

dr.fuzzenstein

Tabnabs wrote: »

That's just silly, how are they supposed to pre-empt when the light will go green?

True, other countries have a yellow before it goes green, gives people time to get their sh*t together, release handbrake (if you are so inclined), find a gear, let the clutch up, etc...
In Ireland it has been decided against because (insert nonsensical, unfathomable, lazy excuse here).
Could a point be made to employ a yellow light before green comes on?
It should speed up traffic off the lights, decrease delays and improve traffic flow.
I can't see a single reason why not.

LLU

RangeR wrote: »

I don't do it. If the car in front of me does it, I put my full beams on until traffic moves off again.

bloody hell. I suggest reading the rules of the road and taking a few driving lessons before you go for your driving test!

MrDerp

The whatbrake? Is that the lever yoke I pull up to stop the car from rolling when I've parked, but never use when driving?

Engage handbrake if I think I'm gonna be stopping for more than 5 seconds me arse. The only thing I might do in slow traffic is go to Neutral to rest me poor left peg. I use the handbrake on a steep hill, and when parked, or if I'm jumping out briefly for something or other (e.g. to post a letter).

The only time I might get watery eyes looking at someone's brake lights is driving dark roads on a rainy night and then coming up to some lights so there's suddenly (seemingly) bright red lights from the car stopped in front of me. On a dark rainy night I'm damn glad of seeing those lights. It helps me to stop by choice instead of by obstacle.

Alanstrainor

the_syco wrote: »

I hate those in the front of the queue for the traffic lights with a handbrake on, and don't take off the handbrake until after the light goes green, and/or after I hold the horn down :mad:

Aye, but the kind of people that do that, tend not to be the most attentive of people anyway, even if they didn't have the handbrake on, they'd find some other reason for being slow to move off!

I'm driving an auto at the minute, so I just use the foot brake 95% of the time. Unless I want to give my foot a rest, and then i'll put on the handbrake, but generally I wont.

johnos1984

I hate resting my foot on the brake pedal when stopped in traffic. I just engage the handbrake and put the car in gear after being stopped for about 30 secs and be ready to take off.

Electric handbrake ftw

As an aside I find the Audi Q7 has the most blinding brake lights to sit behind. I always end up with a headache if I'm behind them for any length of time

-Corkie-

johnos1984 wrote: »

I hate resting my foot on the brake pedal when stopped in traffic. I just engage the handbrake and put the car in gear after being stopped for about 30 secs and be ready to take off.

Electric handbrake ftw

As an aside I find the Audi Q7 has the most blinding brake lights to sit behind. I always end up with a headache if I'm behind them for any length of time

Same as that John I use the button all the time. I had to laugh at the dude who puts on his full beams at anyone using the footbrake. I laughed hard.

Btw the new A8 has really strong brake lights..

Merch

As a driving instructor told me many moons ago,
If you just hold the car on the footbrake and someone runs into you from behind, what will happen is this, your head goes down and your legs come up AND off the brake (in other words you fold around your midriff, assuming you have your seat belt on) he may not have known why but he knew it happens (in hindsight I judge its because of inertia).

When your foot comes off the brake, if hit from behind you move forward, if you are at the front you roll onto the junction into pedestrain/cars/whatever. It will be over before you realise its happened, unless its really slow.
If the handbrake is on, you may get nudged forward but you will stop (and sooner) regardless of you being rendered unconcious or having recovered from being dazed.
If as many people do, you have the wheels turned also you may be pushed into oncoming traffic.

I dont see why as someone said holding on the footbrake prevents whiplash more than putting on the handbrake, thats what headrests are for??

either way its annoying in the dark and more so in the wet, again more so with some newer cars, I dont see why people should be averting their gaze from whats in front, as that is where the majority of their attention should be.

I actually thought it was a statutory requirement to put on the handbrake, like stopping at a stop sign.
I'm not innocent of it myself, but when I do (not that frequently, I try not to let the bad habits creep in) its when I'm feeling a bit lazy/tired and I suspect its when others do it also.

As I have driven either an auto at times or the manual, I prefer to put the handbrake on and into N or neutral, for my safety/others around me and to reduce glare and irritation to others as I deem it akin to someone driving with their fogs or beams on when they are not required, bad practice, lazy and inconsiderate.