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

Ha !

Que? My 18 year old has only been driving since Feb and he does it - as it's CORRECT!

I do it - my engine continues to run if I don't.

About 15 years ago I was at the back of a huge queue at traffic lights just off junction 2 of the M1 southbound. This utter arsehole came off the motorway at incredible speed and was unable to slow down in time (not sure how, there was loads of road), so slammed into the car behind me with such force that it also hit my car. Car behind me was a concertina. All 3 cars a write-off.

Thanks to the fact that I had my handbrake on the car in front of me was unscathed. I would probably have taken my foot off the brake in surprise and hit the car in front otherwise. The police who attended were convinced that this was why it was 'only' a 3 car accident. Not that I cared, I was too busy vomiting into the central reservation in shock.

To recap - put your handbrake on. It's safer.

I don't just handbrake -neutral, if I just missed the light and I know it's gonna be a while I switch my engine off. As soon as the light ahead changes I switch back on. I don't hold none up, and give the street a small rest from my emissions. YABU.

It annoys me too, but I'm not sure why :P

Handbrake, neutral.

Agree it's the people who hold the car on the foot brake who tend to roll gently backwards.

Worse still, people who hold the car on the accelerator, revving gently at the biting point, without touching either brake.

(Yes, DP, I am looking at you.)

I do it. I was a professional driver., second nature to me. I think most new drivers are much safer on the roads nowadays; far higher standards required to past the test.
Impatient drivers IMO have " issues". A vehicle in the wrong hands is like a loaded gun .

Depends on the light. A long line constantly moving, I use brake and clutch in. If i am at the front or itis a load of cars all still then I stick it in neutral with handbrake and then it goes into stop.

neutral and handbrake is the proper way of doing it though. Do it any other way and you'll fail your driving test.

I drive an automatic, no rolling back, no dead leg on my left side - changed my life, but I guess I should still be doing this shouldn't I...

You can actually drive halfway around London with the handbrake on and not even notice, hence I did away with the clutch.

Because they are a new driver and are worried about holding the bite? Or they could roll back into you if you'd prefer.

My car doesn't have a hand-brake, but it does have auto-hold, which is an automatic handbrake that comes on - funnily enough - as a safety precaution!

I actually don't like sitting behind people blinding me with their foot on the brake BUT now, it seems I am one of those people because the auto-hold means that the brake lights come on too.

The car also has a stop/start BlueMotion feature, so my engine switches off when I take my foot off the clutch and go into neutral.

The thing is, if I am sitting at lights/in a queue then I am always aware of when the lights are about to change/traffic starts to move and can then depress the clutch to start the engine again in good time and the auto-hold comes off when I depress the accelerator - I then move off without holding anyone up at all.

It's called driving with due care and attention!

This normal person puts her handbrake on and the car in neutral. I was taught to put both feet on the floor when stopped. I'm no slouch when the lights change, I can assure you!

It's one of the things I remember my driving instructor being particularly insistent about - put the car in neutral and put the handbrake on when you stop at a red traffic light, or you'll be shunted into oncoming traffic if the person behind you drives into the back of you. So, funnily enough, I don't find it annoying when people do that, given that this is the correct thing to do - just annoying when their reaction speeds are unbelievably slow. It's not as if it actually takes long to put a car in gear and take off a handbrake.

You would fail your driving test if you don't apply the handbrake when stopped at lights. You ruin your brakepads if you hold brake for long periods. You would be shunted forward if hit from behind without your handbrake on.
I drive auto because I can't be bothered with the ins and outs of gears, I want to drive dodgem style but come on, you can't bitch at people for following that little nuisance known as the Highway Code!

......driving properly and saving money on replacement brake light bulbs.

When I went on a driver awareness course - yes, I know, I am ashamed - the instructor showed us a number of scenarios where it is vital to have the handbrake on when stationary. Shunts can be v dangerous without. - pushing you into oncoming traffic, for example.

So I always do it now!

i dont do it as much as i used to but this is how it is taught

passed 9 year ago

another vote for handbrake/neutral being correct.

Don't normally reply on threads like these

But OP... you are an idiot

I've had my driving licence a week, I was not told to do neutral on the lights, however, sharing a car with my husband, which means I drive 5+ hours driving a day, I need to do this, even in traffic. My legs are dead by the time I'm half way through the afternoon work run...it is in rush hour on the A1 then a 20 minute drive through towns with loads of traffic and lights. I feel like I've been walking in heels all day!,

Don't tell me you're one of those annoying drivers who sits holding their foot on the break in gear?!

Those who put their handbrake on are driving correctly. Putting your car into neutral when waiting for whatever reason will save your clutch in the long run.

Sorry that its annoying for you but this is how you're meant to drive.

Hand break and neutral unless I'm front of the queue and then it's handbreak and first. as taught by my driver instructor.

Annoying yes when they take three days to get going and the light goes red again however they are correct in doing handbrake , neutral

I do hope the OP actually thinks YABU to her own question and posted it so she could show this thread to an idiot DP and say, 'see? A hundred people with thousands of years of driving experience between them say definitely handbrake and often neutral.' (Add 30 years for me, car engages the 'handbrake' when you press the footbrake while stopped because its sensible)