Quick silly question

KyleD

Hi all,

Learning to drive at the moment, just one quick question....when putting the handbrake on at traffic lights etc should you put the gears back into neutral then put the handbrake on and take your foot off the clutch, or keep the gear in however you stopped, pull the handbrake up then put it into neutral and take your foot off the clutch?



Thanks!

Alanstrainor

Hey there, welcome to boards.ie
Stop, handbrake, neutral, foot off the clutch.
:pac:

chris85

yeah handbrake then neutral.

If at the first in a queue at a set of lights should stay in gear and foot brake applied. no problem to do it when first in queue but anywhere else use the handbrake

daiixi

Good practice especially at the front of the lights to have the handbrake applied. That way if a car hits you from behind you won't end up in the middle of the intersection.

Alanstrainor

daiixi wrote: »

Good practice especially at the front of the lights to have the handbrake applied. That way if a car hits you from behind you won't end up in the middle of the intersection.

yeah i completely agree, i never undrstood the whole "dont apply handbrake if you're the first at lights" rational, handbrake can be released in one second so there's little loss of reaction time to lights changing.

SeanW

+1 to all the above posts. Stop, pull the handbrake, then go into neutral and disengage the clutch.

Holsten

Eeek, I never do that. What I do is break, clutch, stop, into first.

Sangre

if you're in the first 3 at the lights, have the handbrake on with the car in gear.

Alanstrainor

Sangre wrote: »

if you're in the first 3 at the lights, have the handbrake on with the car in gear.

I have to ask why? Just put the car into neutral and relax, there's no need to wear down the clutch cable by keeping it depressed the whole time. And if your response is "it'll take too long to get into gear", then i suggest you practise and take the time to observe the traffic and lights, it doesn't take rocket science to see when your lights are going to change, at which time you can get ready. Handbrake, neutral, release clutch.

techguy

.. and during the test be sure to put your hands back on the steering wheel and continue to be really alert! Over do it!!

Alanstrainor

techguy wrote: »

.. and during the test be sure to put your hands back on the steering wheel and continue to be really alert! Over do it!!

+1:pac:

Damomayo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

....Just put the car into neutral and relax, there's no need to wear down the clutch cable by keeping it depressed the whole time......... Handbrake, neutral, release clutch.

+1
ur only going to wear out ur clutch or maybe shunt forward if the cars in gear