AIBU to leave my car parked in 1st facing down on a hill?

[CordeliaGoode]

How long before it starts to roll downhill?

Modern cars don't need this kind of shit

Handbrakes can fail even on modern cars.

I’ve been driving 20 years and always parked my car in gear with handbrake as well whether flat or on a hill. My brother is a mechanic and it was him first told me to do this
It’s pure habit now even when parked in my own drive. It means I always start the engine with my foot on the clutch. I guess the logic in both methods mean :

my car won’t roll if the handbrake fails

Because I do it all the time I won’t forget to leave it in gear when I am actually on a hill

And I won’t bunny hop into the back of someone else when starting engine as my foot is on clutch.

Finding this thread as a foreigner so strange.

Manual transmission cars here are always parked in a gear, doesn't matter which one, hill or flat road. Handbrake on.

Automatic cars in park are technically in gear, that's how the transmission works so it wouldn't matter whether it's first or reverse in a manual.

But why would you?

If your handbrake fails it means your car doesn't roll and cause damage or an accident.

I was taught to drive about 15 years ago. Generally park in neutral, and in gear and wheels to kerb on a slope.
DH who learned 10 years earlier has always parked in gear. Until our most recent models, I've always struggled to start the car, partly because I forget he's left it in gear, but mostly because he's yanked the handbrake on so hard... and all that's after I pulled the driver's seat forwards out of the boot.

But why would you?

But why wouldn’t you?

Our drive is on a slope, so I always park with the handbrake on and in gear. I just do it automatically now, and would always check I was in neutral before I start the engine anyway.

And as for handbrakes not failing on modern cars - that is rubbish. We bought our car when it was 2 years old and when we drove it back discovered that the handbrake cable was loose as we tried to park it on our (sloping drive) and had to take it back to the dealer the next day to get that sorted.

I always park in 1st gear wherever ì am. A habit I picked up from my nan.

I start the car with the clutch in, didn't realise this was a no no.

@Fizzypoo is it a no no? My car won't start without the clutch depressed.

Many MNers have very little knowledge or even curiosity about cars/ driving. Weird

I start the car with the clutch in, didn't realise this was a no no.

It isn’t.

I park with my car in "park" (can't get the key out if it's not) and handbrake on. (I turn my wheels on slopes, though)

To be fair I've only ever owned automatics, so have no idea why I should leave a manual in gear.

It is a bit weird that they don't seem to explicitly teach this during driving lessons. Every car handbook I've read for a manual car still says you should put it in gear. It takes a fraction of a second to do.

Lots of posters have said they take it out of gear and start the car in neutral. I just jump in and start it.

I start the car with the clutch in, didn't realise this was a no no

It isn't a no no. Many modern cars will only start with the clutch pressed down too. Mine is one, so if this was a no no then many of us would be unable to ever start our cars.

If I park on a hill I leave it in gear and with the handbrake firmly on. The gear makes sure that it cannot roll if the handbrake should fail.

If it is on my drive then I just leave it in neutral with the handbrake on. That is because it sits on a flat area with my house directly in front of it and behind it is a slope up to the road. So no way it could roll at all.

I'm amazed at the number of people who don't seem to be putting their handbrakes on as well as leaving the car in gear. The handbrake is a parking brake. Yes, it is used at times whilst driving (hill start, sitting in traffic etc.) but it is chiefly the parking brake. Leaving in gear is a backup in case of brake failure.

I was taught 3 years ago and was told to do this and he said it didn’t matter which gear, any would do

Fizzy, you should always check that the car is in neutral before starting it. If you don't and it does happen to be in a gear then it will give a big leap forward, which can be very dangerous.

It is a safety net in modern cars that the clutch should be pressed down to start them. Too many people not checking it is in neutral first and causing problems.

Imagine if someone was walking past the front of your car in a car park or at the fuel station, you started it while it was in gear and the clutch was not pressed down. You could plough into them.

Fizzy, you should always check that the car is in neutral before starting it. If you don't and it does happen to be in a gear then it will give a big leap forward, which can be very dangerous.

I've never ever started my car in neutral - I depress the clutch then turn the key every single time. Isn't that normal?!

If you always start the car with the clutch down then the shunt won't happen as that's your habit. The rare time I've shunted my car forward (when my dp has moved my car ect) it's never gone any amount of distance.

No Adiline. You should jiggle the gear stick to make sure it's in neutral before starting so you do t need to depress the clutch.

so you do t need to depress the clutch.

Unless, like many cars, they won't start if the clutch is not depressed.

It will move even in gear if the hill is hilly enough. Ask anyone who's jump started a car. They can still move forward in gear. Don't see why you wouldn't put the handbrake on too

Yes yes but that's a new fangled thing for very specific cars. The general principle as taught is jiggle gears and check car is in neutral and handbrake on.

My 2005 Laguna needed the clutch in to start the engine, so its not new or fancy!

I passed my test about 15 years ago and was always taught "handbrake, neutral" when parking. Then to put it in gear only if you are on a slope. Jiggle the gearstick to check it's in neutral before starting the engine, put it in neutral before starting if not.

My last two cars needed the clutch down to start anyway.

I have never parked without the handbrake on, why would you? I have also only ever parked in gear on significant slopes. Never had a car roll down a hill.

Yes yes but that's a new fangled thing for very specific cars.

2001 is hardly "new fangled"