The parking brake, also known to most drivers as a handbrake, is designed, based on the name, to hold the car in place in the parking lot when parking. However, the handbrake, whatever it is intended for, is a brake, and if so, the idea of ​​using it as an additional brake, an emergency alternative, visited many car owners. After all, if the main braking system fails, any way to reduce speed can save a life. Is it possible to use the parking brake on the move, what could be the consequences?

Handbrake

Handbrake is not for everyone

The road can be very different, as well as the situation on it, and there are a lot of cases of failure for any reason of the main brake. And few of the drivers did not think about the likelihood of such an event. And, simulating the situation, the first thing the driver remembers is the handbrake. It’s only worth immediately clarifying one point - it’s far from possible to use the parking brake on the go on any car. And the point is that modern cars are equipped to capacity with all kinds, and many cars have a special button instead of the usual handbrake lever. Yes, and electronic security systems simply will not allow the parking brake to be activated on the go. Therefore, such a privilege or method of emergency braking can only be used by owners of cars that have a classic handbrake lever.

The nuances of using the handbrake

The practice of using the parking brake while driving revealed some nuances. The main thing is to slow down with a handbrake on the go, in principle, it is possible, but this must be done carefully and wisely. If you tighten the lever sharply and strongly, then the rear wheels will instantly lock up, and in many conditions this is a direct path to uncontrolled skidding with quite predictable consequences. Use the parking brake very carefully so that braking does not cause the wheels to lock.

Electric parking brake

Of course, an extremely dangerous situation can arise when there really is no time for accuracy and tenderness with a lever. In this case, when tightening the parking brake lever to the full, in no case should you turn the steering wheel. The front wheels should remain in a straight line, even the slightest deviations should not be allowed at this moment. Otherwise, you run the risk of becoming familiar with the so-called police turn, which you will not be able to control.

You should also take into account the conditions under which there is a need for emergency braking with a handbrake. If the road is slippery, whether it is snow or dampness, then such a maneuver will be very risky. Even the slightest difference in the grip of the wheels of the front and rear axles will cause the situation to develop according to the scenario described above. Also, potholes under the front wheels, when the rear wheels are blocked, will easily provoke all sorts of somersaults. And, of course, speed. You must always remember about it, the higher it is, the more catastrophic the situation will be if the rear wheels are blocked by the handbrake, something will not work out.

Skid when braking with handbrake

From this we can conclude that the use of such an exotic method of braking is relatively safe only on a flat road without bumps and ice at more or less low speeds. And in a situation where there are no other options.

What to do if the brakes fail? First you need to get together, do not panic. Others have already been in this situation, not you the first, not you the last.

We warn you about problems

First of all, it is necessary to turn on the alarm, thus warning other road users about the situation that has arisen, and then proceed to solve the problem. It will be useful to familiarize yourself with.

Downshift

The most effective way to reduce speed is to shift gears in descending order. That is, if the movement was in fourth gear, then you should switch to third. In this case, the engine will operate at high speeds, but you should not worry too much about this, it is unlikely to fail, and not up to it at the moment. Pressing the gas pedal in this case should not be done. After some time, the engine speed should drop, and when it reaches about 2500 rpm, shift into second gear while maneuvering smoothly towards the curb. After the exit to the side of the road, turn on the first gear and turn off the engine. It is recommended to stop the car using the handbrake.

This method of braking is effective when moving on mountain roads, when driving on roads where there is an alternation of ups and downs, as well as on slippery roads in winter. Thus, it is possible to avoid overheating of the brakes and reduce their effectiveness, and in winter, when driving on a slippery surface, to avoid blocking the wheels.

Braking with a parking brake (handbrake)

Useful in a situation of loss of control will be the method of damping speed with the help of a handbrake. Handbrake braking technology involves depressing the handbrake release button and gradually lifting the lever with increasing force. You can navigate with a click. Care must be taken not to make a sudden jerk, as this could bring the vehicle to a sudden stop and create a risk of collision with vehicles behind. When performing a smooth decrease in speed, it is necessary to carry out an offset in the direction of the curb until the car comes to a complete stop. Also, when braking with a handbrake, it is necessary to control the situation in order to prevent the car from skidding due to blocking of the wheels, if there is a danger of such a situation, you can slightly release the handbrake lever.

Gearbox braking

In extreme cases, it is possible to use the braking method with the involvement of the gearbox. This method consists in the fact that the engine is turned off, after which the first gear is engaged and the clutch pedal is abruptly released. As a result of such actions, the gearbox is likely to fail, but in this way the consequences of the accident can be mitigated.

Use of obstacles

In order to slow down, you can take advantage of the presence of "pliable" obstacles in the form of bushes growing along the road or snowdrifts in winter. If it is not possible to avoid a collision with vehicles in front, it is necessary, if possible, to try to direct the impact in such a way that it hits bumper to bumper. This will make it less likely that you will push the vehicle in front of you off the road, but your speeds must be about the same for this to happen.

For experienced car owners, it will not be difficult to choose the right braking method in the current situation. At the same time, beginners often get confused in new road conditions, which often leads to traffic accidents. A big advantage for a newbie on the road is that theory comes easily to them. And, keeping in mind the basic requirements of traffic rules, it is much easier to use them in real situations.

Basic braking rules

When looking for the best way to brake, it is necessary to start, first of all, from the gearbox of your car: a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission. All future manipulations of the motorist are directly dependent on the type of transmission of the car.

How to properly brake on the mechanics

For proper braking at a manual transmission in front of a traffic light, it is necessary to take into account both the characteristics of the car, weather conditions, and the condition of the roadbed. Suppose you have to stop at a traffic light on a road with a smooth, dry asphalt surface.

We execute the following sequencing:

1. The left foot is depressing the clutch.
2. The left foot remains on the clutch pedal, the right foot depresses the brake pedal.

These actions must be performed smoothly in order to prevent a sudden stop, standing ten meters before the traffic light and not “catch a kiss” from the car behind. When the car comes to a complete stop, it is necessary, while holding the clutch and brake depressed, to turn on the first speed, which will allow you to immediately start moving when the permissive signal lights up.

Proper braking with an automatic transmission

Is it possible to brake with an automatic transmission engine? Certainly! Moreover, it is very easy for a beginner to brake on a car with automatic equipment. In this case, it is necessary to carefully release and again press the brake pedal until the car stops rolling.

We brake urgently

When emergency braking is required, a number of factors must be considered:

1) the possibility of demolition of the machine in the skid and skidding

2) No need to simultaneously taxi and brake. This is very risky, as it will certainly lead to loss of control. An obstacle suddenly appeared ahead - first you need to press the brake, then immediately in front of the obstacle, start turning the steering wheel, while depressing the brake pedal.

Braking in extreme weather conditions

Being able to slow down and stop on a dry road surface in a manual or automatic transmission is not the most important thing. It is much more difficult for a novice driver to prevent skidding or skidding. The most important thing is to learn how to properly brake your car in cold weather on slippery road surfaces.

How is it necessary to brake on a manual gearbox and at the same time prevent skidding and skidding in icy conditions? First of all, it is necessary to drive the car more calmly than in the summer on good and not wet asphalt.

On a wet or icy road, in snow, due to poor adhesion of the vehicle wheel surface to the road surface, the braking distance increases several times.

Even if you have foreseen worsening weather conditions and “dressed” your car in winter “shoes”, be careful, drive your car more smoothly, start braking in advance. Remember: driving in the summer and in the cold season are two completely different styles of driving your car.

Apply engine braking to stop properly on a manual transmission on icy road surfaces. This method can be used not only in icy conditions. But first, let's understand what engine braking is and why you should use it only in limited driving situations.

Engine braking features

This type of braking can be used in a number of situations:

• It is necessary to stop or brake on a steep or long descent,
• The brake pedal failed.

What does engine braking mean? In fact, this method should be called braking not by the engine, but using the gear lever. Although, if we evaluate it in terms of the impact it has on the mechanisms of the machine, in this case the engine is mentioned here quite rightly.

To start engine braking, you need to release the accelerator pedal, then you need to alternately switch from high speed gears to low ones.

note: You need to perform these actions one by one.

If you go from 5th gear directly to 1st, you will immediately lose control of your vehicle. In this case, the car will go into a skid, in addition, it can disrupt the engine. It will be a great success if on your way in this case there will be a flat open field, and not an oncoming lane with rushing cars, or another no less dangerous obstacle.

Automatic engine braking

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To use engine braking on an automatic transmission, you should pay attention to the advice of experienced drivers. There is nothing particularly complicated here. Before driving downhill, downshift to D3, and on steeper descents, feel free to downshift to D2 (L). To apply additional braking, use the Hold button.

Another discovery of modern automotive industry is the anti-lock braking system ABS. With a sharp press on the brake pedal, the wheels of the car will not slip into the skid, but will remain under the control of the car computer.

Under normal road conditions, an ABS-equipped vehicle has a greatly reduced stopping distance. Extreme situations, when the wheels of the car break into a skid or slip, are minimized. A car equipped with ABS does not skid.

If your car has such a system, questions of proper braking with ABS are unnecessary, just start braking. At some points on slippery road surfaces or in other difficult road conditions, the brake pedal begins to tremble and press back on the driver's foot. Don't worry, it's the ABS system, keep braking confidently.

A number of car models are now equipped with a button to turn off the ABS system. Sometimes experienced car owners use this function. But even for them, we do not recommend turning off the system! If your car does not have such a button, and you still need to turn off the ABS, then this can be easily done by removing the fuse responsible for its operation.

There is an opinion that the use of the ABS system leads to an increase in the braking distance. Such an opinion will be true only under the following conditions:

1. The surface of the road surface is not even, loose. For example, gravel or sand cover, deep snow. Under such conditions, a car not equipped with ABS, with blocked wheels, is more likely to “burrow” and stop moving. It is in such conditions that experienced motorists use the function of disabling the anti-lock braking system.
2. "Bald" tires. Driving on such tires becomes much more dangerous on a car equipped with ABS.

ABS has a number of undeniable advantages, which facilitate braking in difficult conditions:

• There is no need to make a series of fast and intermittent applications on the brake pedal - ABS is activated with 1 long application
• The car remains under the complete control of the driver.
• Even sharp maneuvering at higher speeds is now possible, as the ABS braking system is more responsive and confident.

What to do in case of brake failure

1. Warn other drivers! Signal and turn on emergency lights
2. At low speeds, it makes sense to apply a handbrake. We press the button and smoothly raise the lever, while paying attention to clicks, do not allow sudden braking and blocking of the car's wheels.
3. Handbraking is not possible for some reason? Brake the engine! In critical conditions, it is necessary to turn off the ignition, turn on the first speed. In this case, a breakdown of the gearbox or engine is guaranteed, but life is much more important.
4. Can't stop? Then look for items that can serve as a deterrent. The damage from a collision with them should be minimal. Thickets of bushes, snowdrifts, heaps of garbage will do.

Regardless of what gearbox your car is equipped with, on what road surface you are moving, you, first of all, need to be firmly confident in your capabilities. That is why, before you get behind the wheel of a high-risk vehicle and drive onto a busy highway, you have to learn how to brake properly.

Low-quality gasoline and its impact on the condition of the car

Gasoline is the fuel most commonly used in internal combustion engines (ICEs).

This fuel is obtained from oil, by distillation, as well as further chemical processing. The liquid itself should be transparent and have a sharp specific smell.

"Blind spots": description and methods of dealing with them

Blind spots, better known to motorists as the "blind spot", are a major hazard on the roads. But if an experienced driver knows what a “blind zone” is and how to deal with it, then for a person who has just got behind the wheel, this statement does not carry any semantic load.

But all's well that ends well. In our case, when we become road users, it is necessary to pay attention to the slightest change in the situation on the roadway.

Safety for pets while traveling by car

The contented face of a dog riding in the front seat next to the driver always cheers up other road users. We all love to take our four-legged pets with us on the road.

Any trip to the country house or a picnic can turn out to be holidays for your dog, and a trip to the veterinary clinic can be sadness. But regardless of why and where we are taking our furry friends, it is necessary to remember the rules of transportation.

Transportation of small and large animals

Animals such as hamsters, rats, cats, etc. must be transported in a special container or cage. This is due to the fact that a frightened animal may try to jump out of an open window, crawl under the seat or, even worse, under the driver's feet.

Therefore, no matter how you feel sorry for your pet, place it in a cage for the duration of transportation.

Engine failure - repair or buy a new one

Engine failure

Typically, the engine resource for domestic vehicles is about 150 thousand kilometers, and for foreign cars twice as much. With the right approach, the motor will work much more.

The most common mistakes in understanding traffic rules in different countries and the consequences

Every year thousands and even tens of thousands of drivers are fined by traffic police officers. This happens for one simple reason - violation of traffic rules. It would seem that everyone studied at a driving school in the same way and then passed exams, but this is somewhat different.

Oddly enough, even the most exemplary drivers get into curious situations, and not at all because they wanted to violate, but because they misunderstood the interpretation of some points of the traffic rules.

Who is to blame for not knowing?

Oddly enough, one of the key reasons that the driver misunderstands the interpretation of traffic rules is that his teacher at a driving school failed to convey the essence, or rather, convey it in a non-distorted form.

For this simple reason, it can be said with great confidence that a teacher's mistake leads to an emergency on the roadway, fines and other unpleasant events.

How to remember traffic rules tickets before the exam: useful tips and tricks

There are different driving schools where teaching methods can differ significantly from each other. But no matter how different these institutions are, at the final stage of training, everyone takes an exam. This, without any doubt, is a very responsible and important step in the life of every future motorist. Tickets for traffic rules change every year, so no one can simply take and cheat.

Although we can say that there is an alternative way - a bribe. And since a person always follows the path of least resistance, a part does so. But there are several significant nuances here. Firstly, it is quite expensive, and secondly, such drivers are not encouraged on the roads.

Therefore, if you are one of those who are going to pass on the rights on their own, then get ready for the fact that it will not be easy, very difficult.