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

So Gunny, is it bad for the clutch to keep it at the bite for a long time at lights etc? Is it best to keep it in first, clutch depressed to the floor then bring up to bite when ready to move off?

Yes. It will cause your clutch to wear if you hold it at the biting point unnecessarily. Haven't you ever smelt it burning?

You are better off either fully depressing the clutch or putting it in neutral. When you hold it at the biting point you have the flywheel turning at engine speed and the transmission stationary thus you will be causing heat and friction.

I passed my test about 6 months ago. I was taught always use the handbrake at lights but keep it in gear. I passed my test doing this so it must be ok.

Yabvvvvvvvvvu

Nope I haven't smelt it burning but have just passed my test and BSM are teaching to get in to first, handbrake on, clutch to the floor then bring it up as you're ready to move off

Which is correct from your point of view and contrary to what many posters are saying here!

I hardly ever use my handbrake.

I passed my test a year ago and was taught handbrake neutral at lights. Also I have a joint condition which means holding the clutch down unnecessarily causes me immense pain.

"If you're driving a sporty manual car you have to use the handbrake otherwise you'll stall when you try to pull away due to lack of feet "
I've never driven a sporty manual car, but I drove a crappy old manual pickup for years. The hand brake didn't work. I almost never rolled backwards.
The mechanics of it are very simple - put it in neutral at the stop, foot on the brake pedal; when the light turns green, depress the clutch and put it in first; bring the clutch to the biting point just as you let off the brake (so the brake should release and the clutch catch just at the same time); during the split-second that your foot moves from the brake to the accelerator the clutch (and the fact that you're in first gear) is preventing you from rolling back.
It does take some practice but I'm neither the most coordinated person nor do I have the speediest reflexes, and if I can manage it then I imagine that anybody who can drive can manage it.

How did it pass an MOT with a handbrake that didn't work?

I live in the US, and this was 20+ years ago, so it wasn't an issue. It did 'hold' but not very well - certainly not well enough that I'd trust it in an accident or on a hill.

Ah, makes sense

YABVU

It's so irritating at night when people leave their brake lights glaring into the face of the driver behind them.

Handbrake neutral = way wear and tear on engine if driving an automatic, also no chance of jumping or being shunted forwards.

Way less wear and tear that should say!

Here you go. I took this for you. Everyone uses the footbrake at lights in germany.

Why on earth would you use neutral and handbrake on an automatic?
I put mine in Park, no need for the handbrake then as I'm not going to roll anywhere!

Automatic is different kettle of fish - no point in neutral for auto, but handbrake is fine. 1000% does not cause extra wear, they are designed for it, but it does help avoid bliding the people behind, not that anyone cares.

If you select park at traffic lights yabvu. As well as probably giving car behind two flashes of reversing light, it's ott.

Handbrake should be on (gears optional)... the reason being that if you are rear ended while stationary that you are less likely to be shunted as far forward (possibly into a worse accident).

I drive an automatic which also has gears, it's a 4x4

I never use P apart from actual parking, Always hand brake and N, you can hear the difference in the engine, it's much quieter in N than it is D. so I deduce from this there is less strain on the engine

I learnt to drive in a manual car, I was taught to look ahead, clutch control, and to listen for the engine note to let you know when to change gear. The engine note is the sound it makes as it goes through the transmissions of the gears. I always know if a passing car has an inexperienced driver at the wheel and he or she hasn't got to grios with hear changes yet. You can hear the engine screaming out for a gear change.

raspberry

On an auto, Park means exactly that - Park, not stopped temporarily.

As PP said, you have to go through R and N to get to D from P on an auto, so you're running the risk of setting off in R (unlikely granted, but it certainly would shit up the car behind for a second or so each time they saw your white light).

I've got a tiptronic, use N and handbrake.

This has made me think. I drive an automatic now, with start stop. When I brake, the engine cuts. When I pull away, it restarts as soon as I take my foot off the brake. I never touch the gear stick once I've moved from P to D from when I start my journey until I actually park up at my destination. Will research.

I do it even now I drive an automatic. I wish everyone did so I wouldn't have to be blinded by brake lights.

I mentioned this discussion to my (German) driving instructor today.

He laughed and said Englishmen have strange rules and that it is more dangerous to have the handbrake on, because if you're shunted, you want to move, not stay still.

Interesting.

I don't find brake lights blinding. It's quite useful actually as you can see everyone getting ready to go in a line so you know when to get ready yourself and don't hold everyone up.