Explain to me about hand breaks and automatics

[mollyfolk]

Got an automatic car this week. Was still putting the (button) hand break on at traffic lights or stopped on a slight hill ect. Gave a lift to a friend yesterday and she told me the automatic won’t roll back in Drive “mode” . Today I tried just having my foot on the brake but was paranoid that the car seemed to roll back a little in the spilt second between holding the foot brake and touching the accelerator.

So how do you use your handbrake in an automatic?

I have driven autos for the best part of 20 years and don’t even use the handbrake when I’m parked. If you don’t want to keep your foot on the brake at traffic lights, just stick it in park. When an auto is in park, the transmission isn’t engaged, so no need for the handbrake.

Yes Automatics can roll back! Mine does like this.

my instructor last year said newer cars tend not to, and particular brands. Hers didn’t. Regardless she always got me to use her button handbrake when waiting a while at lights or in traffic, or on a steep hill.

i also used to worry about dazzling others with the brake lights but turns out some automatics brake light stay on regardless whether you’re holding the brake or not
(also my lil cars lights couldn’t dazzle a fly 😂)

I learned in an automatic and was taught to use it at lights etc - I assumed it was in case of being hit or something but didn't actually question it.

So are you going to N and then putting the handbrake on?

I put it in park at night so I don’t dazzle the people behind with my brake lights but I think it’s in case you get rear-ended.

My car’s screen tells me to put the handbrake on when I go to P - so this does make sense.

if only it would talk me through everything.

For the brief few months I had an automatic I would put it in Park at traffic lights same as I would handbrake and neutral in a manual. I don't think that car had a handbrake, never found it.

Was still happy to go back to a manual. Makes so much more sense to me.

That would be crazy.

Just out your foot on the brake while the car is in drive.

You don't need to change from drive at all until you are actually parking the car somewhere.

The whole point of an automatic is that while you're driving (and that includes waiting at traffic lights) all you need is your foot on either the brake or the accelerator. You don't need to change put of drive at all.

No, even when parking I'd but the handbreak on and then put into N. If at a junction and don't think it'll be particularly long it stays in D. Never came out of it until parked up in any of my lessons!

But I realise this isn't matching what everyone else is saying so now I'm concerned 😂

Very pleased to see that cross post 😄

Our automatic doesn't have auto-hold, my previous one did. So I use the handbrake on hills.

It depends on the car. Mine definitely rolls back.

I can tell who lives in North America by their responses, @mathanxiety .
We forget what a hand brake is until we rent cars in the UK and have to rediscover the joys of driving a manual. 🤣

If the car is auto, it should hold on the handbrake when in D for Drive.

I never use mine

I have an automatic and mine doesn't roll back if I am stationary on a hill. I keep my foot on the brake though just in case someone goes into the back of me.

The whole point of an automatic is that while you're driving (and that includes waiting at traffic lights) all you need is your foot on either the brake or the accelerator. You don't need to change put of drive at all.
But what if you're at what you know is a long light and you want to res your foot? In my proper manual care that's when I'd go neutral+handbrake. Wasn't obvious to me what the equivalent in an automatic was so I used to go into Park. No idea if that's right or not but it was another reason I didn't like it.

My driving instructor did tell me to put the handbrake on at traffic lights, now I think about it. But I never do!

There is no handbrake on mine anyway but I can put the gear into P which puts the auto brake on.

The handbrake does not prevent you from being shunted forward if hit from the rear.

It makes your car more vulnerable to crumpling because the energy from the car hitting yours has to be absorbed somehow.

Depending on the speed of the rear ender, you will be shunted forward a little or a lot. No brake will help if you are hit at speed.

Yes, if you're at a really long light or stuck at a grade crossing waiting for a long freight train to pass, etc., putting it into park is fine. Just remember to put it in drive again when you want to move forward - don't sit there revving as I did one day.

Your brake lights are there to indicate to traffic behind you that they should slow down.

It's misleading and possibly even dangerous to have rear driving lights showing if you're stopped.

Nobody was ever blinded or even discombobulated by the brake lights of a car in front of them.

I learned in a stick in a very hilly American city where I really appreciated the handbrake. When I subsequently drove in the same city in an automatic, I instinctively reached for the handbrake and panicked a bit when it wasn't there.

I have driven many automatics. An auto should not roll back while in D. If it does, you are either on an exceptionally steep hill or have a very expensive transmission issue brewing. Easy hill starts are one of the best perks of autos.

You shouldn't need to use the handbrake at all unless parked or sitting at the front of the traffic lights.

It will at most roll a few cm. As soon as you apply pressure to the accelerator you will move forward.

I’ve had 5 automatics of different makes and ages and none ever rolled back on slopes when waiting at lights or in traffic. That’s why I love them! I just put foot on brake and take it off when going again. They move forward if stopped in traffic and brakes not applied, not back.