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

[CordeliaGoode]

How long before it starts to roll downhill?

I just stick mine in "Park" with the handbrake on. Driving a manual is such a faff.

Reverse gear with your handbrake on offers the most resistance. Also, as a PP said, turn your wheels inwards towards the kerb too.

I always park with the hand brake on and in gear out of habit as I used to live in a very hilly area. I automatically put the clutch down before starting.
There was a situation in my local area a few years ago where someone had left their car in gear started the car without pushing the clutch down and it did a jump forward hitting and killing their child.

BTW everyone, it's KERB not curb (assuming you're British and not N.American)

No Adiline. You should jiggle the gear stick to make sure it's in neutral

Why? What difference does it make?

"But why would you?

But why wouldn’t you?"

No, why WOULD you put your car in 1st facing DOWN a hill? It should be in reverse

"But why would you?

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

... Yes... Which is why it should be reverse and not first

Parking in gear just creates a 50% chance of me not realising/forgetting, and then starting in gear with a horrible lurch.

Baddabingbaddaboom I don’t think you understand the principle behind leaving in gear. Reverse/first doesn’t make much difference because it’s about the engine stopping the wheels turning - the car isn’t going to drive off with no one pressing the accelerator. There is an argument for leaving in reverse when pointing uphill and first when pointing downhill - see this discussion here

www.physicsforums.com/threads/leaving-car-in-gear-when-parking-on-a-hill.517401/

Parking in gear just creates a 50% chance of me not realising/forgetting, and then starting in gear with a horrible lurch.

Presumably you check it's in neutral when you park, out of habit. Exactly the same as parking in gear. It's then just habit that you check it's in neutral before starting it (although it's now habit for me to start the car with the clutch down as I've had to do this since about 2001 to make the car start!)

Which is why it should be reverse and not first

My drive slopes so I tested this out of curiosity once and can confirm the car doesn't roll downhill in either.

I have actually never ever ever heard of this and no-one I know does it. Can someone explain it to me?

A car that is in gear will not roll down a hill if the handbrake fails or isn't on.

Why? What difference does it make?

It quite clearly makes none at all but some people like to be driving masters.

We left our car at PILs once and they told us it was broken - they'd tried to move it but didn't hold the clutch down. How we laughed.... Having had 2 clutch-down cars over the past 10 years it is utterly ingrained now for me.

@floribunda18 when you always park in gear you also always check you're in neutral before starting the engine. It's just habit.

I just stick mine in "Park" with the handbrake on. Driving a manual is such a faff.

How is leaving it in whichever gear you've parked in with the handbrake on more faff than having to put it in park with the handbrake on?

I passed a year ago and always leave it in gear. If not it just rolls as the handbrake is awful.

Genuine question why is everyone leaving the hand brake off? I don't understand, isn't it just the normal thing to do?

I have just learnt to drive, and my instructor taught me about when to leave the car in gear and how to angle the wheels for damage limitation if a parking brake fails.

It wasn't covered In the actual test but it is something that is still taught, at least by some instructors.

@Laiste...Is the model a 'Millenium' ?

My old car had a handbrake that no-one, not even Ford could get to work for more than a few months despite being totally replaced. My drive is on a slight incline and I had a lovely yellow scrape on the wall .

Parking in gear is natural now, though wasn't taught that 30 odd years ago

Genuine question why is everyone leaving the hand brake off? I don't understand, isn't it just the normal thing to do?

I'm the same, I never even gave it a thought that some people may deliberately not apply the hand brake. Though perhaps it explains why on our local Facecloth pages there is usually a picture of a car that's rolled down a hill and crashed into another car or a wall - I did think it strange that there were so many faulty handbrakes - but now I know it's that some people just don't bother applying them. Very strange.

I can't believe I'd forgotten all about this! I used to live on a steep hill street so always left it in gear but since moving, I've never even thought about it even though my driveway is on an incline.

Although it doesn't matter now, I have an automatic.

Parking in gear is natural now, though wasn't taught that 30 odd years ago

Yes, it was. My driving instructor was very "hot" on insisting I leave it in gear when parked. In fact my first car was an old 70's Saab which wouldn't let you take the keys out of the ignition if it wasn't in reverse.

My driving instructor was also exceptionally keen on using the handbrake, i.e. in the middle of 3 point turns when changing between forward/reverse gears, at any junction where I expected to wait more than a few seconds (in case of being rear-ended and forced into other traffic), and always when parking.

Genuine question why is everyone leaving the hand brake off?

They aren't

@MonstranceClock I was never taught to either, but family members always have so I copied them. It’s autopilot for me now. I passed my test 20 years ago.

Heres the parking on hills law