People who do handbrake-neutral at the lights are..

[Kanga59]

..annoying. AIBU?

Why can't you just put your foot on the foot brake like normal people. Tsk

In the shunting situation I'm rather less concerned about losing my no claims bonus and rather more about being pushed on by virtue of the fact I'm pushed into the car in front pushing someone else across the junction and risk them getting t-boned at high speed.

I'd be less worried by what is done in Spain or Germany given that Britain has the second safest roads in Europe, maybe they should be learning from Britain.

You're doing it wrong, OP. Nuff said.

[Also if you're thinking that being shunted is unlikely, please rethink. A driver was texting while driving and drove straight into the back of my friends car while we were at traffic lights. Luckily she had the handbrake on, just saying.]

Lwegi Love it! Touché 😀

I'd be less worried by what is done in Spain or Germany given that Britain has the second safest roads in Europe, maybe they should be learning from Britain.

It's hardly due to having the handbrake on. Much more due to people keeping to speed limits, being safety aware and not crashing against a stopped car in the first place.

Did I say solely or predominantly? But citing examples from countries with signicantly worse driving and road safety standards as evidence to the contrary as a counter example is foolish.

Well lets see if you are waiting for the lights to change handbrake off and foot brake on and in gear with the clutch depressed. If you were clouted from behind undoubtedly your body would move and your feet slip off the pedals or alter the pressure on then so now we have a possibility of foot off the foot brake and foot off the clutch so engine engaged and driving the wheels.

No it might not stall as they'd now be now be forward motion from the impact force from behind. Real problems are what might you now have coming at you sideways on ?

Plus you neck will be rather sore unless the headrest is in the right place.

Read the Highway Code! It is what you are told to do, put on your handbrake. Less likely to get shunted in to the car in front.
I hope to God I don't encounter you on the road if you find the rules annoying!

Or in to oncoming traffic if you're at the front.

Don't get me started on those who don't use a brake at all! My sister did this on a steep hill and her car just kept revving and we were at the lights for at least 3 minutes! So cringe.
Then there was the bimbo sitting on clutch and gear, doing her freaking make-up (not exactly legal)! I had to hoot her as she started to roll back towards me and didn't even notice. I had my handbrake on in neutral, of course.

I passed my test last year and I don't think I was ever taught to use handbrake at all traffic lights. Only to use it if expecting a long wait or on a hill/incline and was taught to hold the biting point for waiting

Shoot, was quoting a comment!

Anyway, to the person who posted the above, your instructor needs to read the highway code.

Oooh.... I never use the handbrake! (Apart from when I park)

Suggest you also read the Highway Code, and congratulations on not causing any accidents. Now, please use your handbrake when stopping for more than about 10 seconds.

A 17 year old girl was killed in our town. She was doing the foot on the brake thing.Her foot slipped, she lurched into the crossing traffic and was killed instantly.
Still think you're safe OP?

Southgirl, you don't mention having a UK licence?

MeeWhoo I have driven DH's car in a car park and made him flail and flap too because I did something else "wrong" according to the British rules. I just give up now.

BTW, I don't know about Spain but Germany doesn't have unsafe driving standards or hundreds more fatalities. In fact the Autobahn despite its reputation as a chaotic free for all is one of the safest highway systems in the world. Most of the accidents as I understand it tend to be single car and related to speeding, and if you look at the stats they are mostly rural, which you can't really compare to the UK in terms of remoteness. People do seem to drive into trams a couple of times a year, though, which isn't a risk in most of Britain. Plus, you have the issue that it's much more difficult for people to just randomly drive into the UK without necessarily having planned it. Germany is surrounded by open Schengen borders and so drivers who haven't necessarily learned the rules here can come through, perhaps on their way to somewhere else. UK doesn't really have the same problem.

The German driving test is very stringent and before you're even allowed to take it you have to rack up three hours each of autobahn driving, night driving, city centre driving and rural driving. If you fail three times you have to take a psychological evaluation (which is apparently almost impossible to pass) before you're allowed to try again, and the same for certain traffic offences such as drug or drunk driving. The legal drink drive level is lower than the UK as well.

The German driving test is very stringent bloody good job too the UK one could be improved a lot just take a few lessons get lucky and pass the test then straight out on a motorway much faster than you've ever driven before.

Bout time it was made a two part test. Wouldn't risk any votes l and it would help to improve driving standards. As would compulsory three year checks for drivers 70 Plus.

Mind you whether or not it'd improve the standard of driving in our local Waitrose car park is another matter;(

UK one could be improved a lot just take a few lessons get lucky and pass the test then straight out on a motorway much faster than you've ever driven before.

I completely agree, it is bizarre that they don't even force you to have one lesson on the motorway with an instructor after passing

It is odd, I think I've been up to about 140km/h and I don't have my licence yet. That was in a dual control car of course. My sister is learning in the UK and she feels nervous about motorways although she's done some dual carriageway driving now. She's thinking about taking the pass plus which I think is a good idea but it's not compulsory of course.

doing the foot on the brake thing.Her foot slipped, she lurched into the crossing traffic and was killed instantly.

How did slipping her foot off the brake make her lurch forward?
And how do people know she skipped her foot if she was killed instantly?

Slipped not skipped.

UK one could be improved a lot just take a few lessons get lucky and pass the test then straight out on a motorway much faster than you've ever driven before.

Many dual carriageways have 70mph speed limits and are used extensively to teach learners. Ditto 60mph ones, country lanes etc. All transferable to motorways.

nearly 300 posts on whether you should have a handbrake on! Wow.

fwiw I apply handbrake and engage neutral. Or don't bother with the handbrake if it's a flat road.

Why would this upset anyone?

After reading this thread I tried using the handbrake and neutral at lights and waiting in traffic,I can see the benefit if there is long waiting times and obviously the safety factor but it felt unnatural to do it and even more certain I wasn't taught this when I had lessons.

I can understand why we don't teach on motorways they are very dangerous for an inexperienced driver I can imagine.

We do get taught on dual carriageway's which is a good compromise I think as motorways are just an extension of duals Imo.

Recently I braved a major 4 lane motorway and it is intimidating and I did see right before my eyes the potential for disastrous crashes without due care and only realised later I would have been part of the pile up.

After nearly a year of driving I wouldn't have been confident to do this as a learner.

I was taught handbrake neutral if waiting for any longer than three seconds. I also move off really sloooowly due to a temperamental clutch so you'd definitely be ranting at me!

HeCantBeSerious

I have just passed my test and when learning I drove loads on dual carriage ways at high speed. It really didn't prepare me for being on the 4 lane M25 with quite so much lane changing plus the noise was something I wasn't used to.

That's just my personal opinion but it would have helped me a lot to go out once with my instructor. Many people I know said similar.