Do You Use The Emergency Brake When Parking?

I use the parking brake all the time. At stoplights, when parking, when drifting... oh wait scratch that last one.

 

nope just cables really. they basically mechanically put the squeeze on the drums. (oops rotors...now that 2010's have disc's)

now, dont get me wrong. i use parking brakes all the time. trust me, there is very few places in downtown Seattle where i would not use them.

i saw a u-tube video of a guy who pulls up in his truck, parks it and runs into a 7-11... he walks out a minute later and his car is gone. he calls the cops. they show up and fill out a report. well, during the report they review the security camera.

the video shows the guy pulling up. getting out and running in. immediately the truck starts rolling backwards. it rolled out and across a busy 5 lane road, across another parking lot and hits and damages 4 other cars and catches fire causing tens of thousands in damages to a business.

 

Have never been a big user of the parking break, basically just when parked on an incline that concerns me, which is like once every other year. Rarely enough at least that usually after parking with the parking break engaged I go for a little drive with it too.

Anyway, in the short time I've had the Prius I haven't parked on a hill, so I haven't used it. Now I've learned from this thread to never use it or to not never use it.

 

Rarely use it, try to remember to occasionally. VW beatles, years ago, it froze up. My 94 Dakota, never used it, it died from lack of use. So, trying to use it every now and then.

 

I was always taught to set the parking break when I get out of the car and I always do. Consequetly, my cars has never crossed the street without me in it.

 

A bit off topic but re the 7-11 story.

I had a brand new 1969 Dodge Charger. About a month old and I stopped at a gas station to ask directions (pre-GPS, remember?). And walked to the cashier area.
Had to wait a minute and turned to look out the front window. Hmm, a Charger pulling in -somebody has one just like mine. Same colors....
Then a guy walks in, looks at me and says "Is that your car"? I'm dumbfounded.... He said "It was in the middle of Roosevelt Road!!!"
I guess, rather than shifting the (console mount) trans into Park, I pushed it to Neutral. As I walked to the cashier, it slowly rolled backward into the street - a very busy 4 lane road. Didn't hit any cars stopped at the light etc.
I was so lucky - and stupid. It was one of those most embarrassing and lesson-learned moments in my life.

Topic - I use the EB on the Prius about 30% of the time; when on a slight incline. And double-check I'm in Park or the car's off.

 

I was taught at age seventeen to use the emergency brake when parking the car, and so I do. Doing so by reflex makes it easy to do it when there's a real need for it.

My most recent cars had a hand brake, and I am not quite used to the foot brake,nor am I used to stepping on the brake to release it. But I'm sure I will.

 

I only use the parking brake when it is really needed, such as parking on an incline or decline. This takes additional stress off the parking prawl.