So, WIBU to take the following to the papers or does anyone have a better suggestion?
We hired a car a few weeks ago on holiday. It turned out that it had an electric parking brake (no handbrake). DH discovered that the only way to know if this button hand been pressed (and if the brake was on) was a tiny red light on the dashboard. DH is colourblind and couldn't see the light in the sun. The car then rolled off down the hill, luckily without my DCs in the back and ended up 'only' demolishing a fence. We were in the Alps and so could have been much worse.
We are currently still waiting on the outcome of the dispute with the car hire company about this, but I also contacted the car manufacturer. I believe there is a design flaw that they need to address. They have just come back to me to say that it's nothing to do with them and we need to make our needs known to a hire company in future. I am not happy with this and feel that they should be thinking about making sure their cars are safe to drive, DH can't be the only driver who is red/green colourblind?
What do you think?
AIBU?
To go to the press?
29herzie · 10/02/2016 13:39
Lurking, were you saying earlier that you aren't supposed to press the button on the handbrake when putting it on?
Yup. Working in motor repairs since the age of 5 I have never changed a handbrake used properly (pull and rip) and plenty where the ratchet was worn down by people pressing the button and skimming the teeth. Mustn't grumble. Put food on the table and a roof over our heads.
I doubt you'd find a car with an old-style handbrake (wonder why ? 
). But if you do, you'll find (usually) you can get an extra "notch" by pull and rip, compared to press-and-pull. (Why do you think the ratchet was there ?). That single notch difference can be the difference between properly on, and enough to roll.
As I said, the proof of this was in cars which didn't have a button, and you could only rip. Most US cars I drove, and cars with a dashboard handbrake - you have to rip the ratchet - it's unavoidable.
The only car I have had roll on me - annoyingly - was a couple of years ago. It was very cold, and there had been a heavy frost, then snow. Our car was on our sloping to the road drive, (automatic) handbrake on. Woke up and it was straddling the pavement. Closer inspection revealed it had not "rolled" (handbrake was on solid) but that somehow ice had formed under the tyres and it had slid down the drive - as shown by the line in the snow. No tread, just a channel ....I have never before (or since) heard or seen this (although posting on various forums suggested it wasn't unheard of). Since then, I have 2 bricks by the gates, for chocking the car in icy weather. (Which has proved an effective way to ensure we haven't had any 
).
Soup, having met such a contraption and followed the abbreviated instructions...
I'm not sure why you've addressed this to me. I've only commented on traffic lights 
If you got the story in the press ( unlikely unless you can find others who had the same problem)
A few PPs have said this. That's not how it works. I'm a journalist. If someone alerts me to a story I don't make them do any research. That's my job.
I find what the OP said interesting. If it was my field I might find it worth further investigation. Alternatively, I might apply my knowledge and conclude it wasn't a problem.
I don't know, because it's not my area of expertise. But it sure as shit is even less so for most people on this thread who are telling her not to call. What does it matter to you?
It's not as if car manufacturers don't want to keep inconvenient truths out of the papers is it? Who'd have thought those nice people at VW would lie about emissions tests?
Anyway, it's been heartening reading so many PPs apparently worried about wasting poor journalists' time 
. That's not the way it usually goes
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