Driving in traffic / Waiting at lights

[Guest]

she’s now learnt to lock the doors [emoji849][/img][/url]

Wow, hope she's ok.

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[Odysseus]

Often my car journeys involve crossing the (obviously barrier controlled) East Coast main railway line. Waiting for trains can sometimes take over 10 minutes and it is INFURIATING to spend that time being blinded by the brake lights of the car in front of you, especially in the dark and/or the rain.

So please, in the name of all that is holy, please don’t be one of these people. Use park, use neutral, use the handbrake, use whatever you like, but don’t sit there with your ****ing foot on the ****ing brake pedal!!!!

Phew. Thanks, that was therapeutic.


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[DAW]

Various previous car instruction manuals have suggested putting the box in neutral when stopped at lights in case of a rear end shunt to protect the box from being damaged & especially not to use park for the same reason. 

Seems sensible approach so have stuck with it. 

[Guest]

Interesting point.

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[Womble72]

49 minutes ago, Comedian said:

 

 

Wow, hope she's ok.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 

 

Thanks, she’s ok just shaken up by it all, the one that was repeatedly punching in the screen has apologised and said he’ll pay for all damages which is looking at around £500, new screen (heated), dent in door and a full valet as there’s blood all over the side windows, doors and inside the car to, also glass throughout the car, he thought the car was picking up the addict (which happened to be his brother) to get him away from them, he didn’t realise it was my wife n youngest and they were just driving home from a “pamper evening” of all things 🙄

[Big Rat]

@doog442 Always apply my foot brake, one of the reasons being is to use 'to cycle the mechanism' I believe one of the reasons it comes up as an mot advisory or failure is lack of use....... but I could be wrong.

🐀

[doog442]

18 minutes ago, Big Rat said:

@doog442 Always apply my foot brake, one of the reasons being is to use 'to cycle the mechanism' I believe one of the reasons it comes up as an mot advisory or failure is lack of use....... but I could be wrong.

🐀

Yep seen that so use mine daily for that reason only. Also worry slightly about mullering 10 kids playing down the bottom of the cul de sac if I didn't. Understand over the pond they rarely use it.    

[Toothy]

Always use hand brake parked up. Otherwise the weight of the car is resting on a small locking pin or lever within the gearbox all the time.

[ColinBarber]

30 minutes ago, Big Rat said:

@doog442 Always apply my foot brake, one of the reasons being is to use 'to cycle the mechanism' I believe one of the reasons it comes up as an mot advisory or failure is lack of use....... but I could be wrong.

🐀

Definitely worth using the parking brake every few weeks at a minimum. Or get rid of vehicles before they are three years old so you don't have to worry about MOTs.

I prefer the lazy man's GS F. Put the transmission in park and let the vehicle apply the parking brake itself 

 

[C.B]

Dont understand why you wouldnt put the handbrake on when parked up?! Sounds like asking for trouble.

Does anyone sit with it in drive and the handbrake on? I hadnt really considered this an option.

Feel like I have to press the brake pedal quite hard to keep the car from moving so if its any longer than a few seconds it will be handbrake neutral for me going forward. I'll just need to get over my hatred of the handbrake and laziness to move a stick a notch!

[doog442]

7 minutes ago, C.B said:

Dont understand why you wouldnt put the handbrake on when parked up?! Sounds like asking for trouble.

 

Most in the US driving autos never use it. 

[Linas.P]

That is interesting point re: parking brake. I reckon I have used it twice over 4 years I have the car, when I was parking on steep steep hills. Usually, the only other occasions it is used is the dealer applying it after the service and after MOT, so on average it is used 2.25 times per year. Considering points above I might start doing it at least once a weee.... month 

14 hours ago, Odysseus said:

Waiting for trains can sometimes take over 10 minutes and it is INFURIATING to spend that time being blinded by the brake lights of the car in front of you, especially in the dark and/or the rain.

That sounds like perfect example where I would use P or even turn-off the engine. It is kind of strange no to do so - keeping your foot on the brakes for 10 minutes would make it numb, so not only it blinds people behind - it is as well uncomfortable. 

[Spacewagon52]

12 hours ago, Toothy said:

Always use hand brake parked up. Otherwise the weight of the car is resting on a small locking pin or lever within the gearbox all the time.

My drive is flat, so I do not leave the parking brake on overnight. This is particularly the case in the winter, as the car might not be used for a few days and the linings could seize up. The less the foot brake is used, the less stretch on the cable is my thoughts? I do use the brake to keep it moving. I apply the foot brake when parked away from home and ALWAYS if the car is on a slope.

Others may have a different opinion.

[sorcerer]

17 hours ago, doog442 said:

Explained here at 7.16 in the video. 

I used to stick in N but as he summarises there's no good reason to so I just leave it in Drive.

Nothing is really explained at 7.16 in the video.

The title of the video is "5 things you should never do in an automatic transmission vehicle" but putting it in neutral at traffic lights shouldn't be included in the 5 things. He says that there is no real need to take it out of drive, but nowhere does he ever state that something bad will happen if you do put it in neutral - because it won't.

Leave it in drive or put it in neutral, it doesn't matter. It's down to personal preference and habits* but this video is not a justification for either method and I do wish people would stop presenting it as such.

*Personally, I was taught to drive by a maniacal instructor back in 1975, who would rap your knuckles with a wooden ruler if you failed to observe the 'handbrake on, select neutral' routine and as such it became deeply ingrained in my psyche, and something I'm only just getting comfortable about breaking after almost three months of ownership of a hybrid, where it has to be left in drive for the traction Battery to charge.

[doog442]

3 hours ago, sorcerer said:

Nothing is really explained at 7.16 in the video.

The title of the video is "5 things you should never do in an automatic transmission vehicle" but putting it in neutral at traffic lights shouldn't be included in the 5 things. He says that there is no real need to take it out of drive, but nowhere does he ever state that something bad will happen if you do put it in neutral - because it won't.

Leave it in drive or put it in neutral, it doesn't matter. It's down to personal preference and habits* but this video is not a justification for either method and I do wish people would stop presenting it as such.

*Personally, I was taught to drive by a maniacal instructor back in 1975, who would rap your knuckles with a wooden ruler if you failed to observe the 'handbrake on, select neutral' routine and as such it became deeply ingrained in my psyche, and something I'm only just getting comfortable about breaking after almost three months of ownership of a hybrid, where it has to be left in drive for the traction battery to charge.

I agree the title of the video is misleading.

What the video did in my case was reassure me that leaving it in drive wasn't causing undue wear and tear or was a 'problem' as such . I was previously putting it in neutral but really cant see the point now .

[DAW]

I have always used the hand brake when the car is parked & depending on the length of the wait, I will also use it while driving  at level crossings etc. 

I was also told by someone at Lexus Leeds (who also raced) that it was a good idea after spirited driving to help heat dissipate more evenly from the brakes - not sure I will ever drive my car that hard that this would be an issue, but might be more relevant for others 😉