Continuing the tales from my driving lesson experience mentioned in my last post, I wish to share with you a few passages from the Driving Standards Agency Official Guide to Driving, which I bought today, regarding the use of the parking brake:
"You should normally apply the parking brake whenever the vehicle is stationary. Apply the parking brake and put the gear lever into neutral when you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing (lining up) behind other vehicles, unless the wait is likely to be very short. If not, your foot could easily slip off the footbrake if, for example, your shoes are wet, or if you’re bumped from behind. You could then be pushed into another vehicle. The habitual use of the parking brake is even more important in vehicles fitted with an automatic transmission. The parking brake will help avoid the possibility of ‘creep’ or the vehicle surging forward if the gas pedal is pressed accidentally."
I couldn’t understand the other day why the driving instructor was going on about me not using the parking brake at every red light where we stopped longer than 30 seconds. Now I do. Are you slapping your forehead in disbelief, too? I have, at times when stopped on steep hills, used the parking break to hold a (manual shift) car steady during start up, but at every light??
Now you can appreciate why I was somewhat stressed after my two hours in the car the other day. More of these kinds of tid bits will, I’m sure, be be unearthed and I’ll certainly share them with you.
The Occasionally-Examined Life 