Skip to main content

@Robert M posted:

Does anyone know anyone that has ever bought to use the "emergency brake" in an emergency when their main braking system failed?  Even as a driving instructor for the sheriff's, like Ed was at one time, and being fully versed in emergency vehicle operations this technique has never been taught to me nor have I ever taught anyone to use it. And I don't know anyone who has ever used it in an actual emergency. I think it should be called by it's most common use and that is "parking brake".



@Robert M : Agreed.  The last vehicle we purchased with an automatic was close to 20 years ago…and ONLY because a manual wasn’t even an option.

In all my driving manual transmissions I have never once grabbed for the brake handle (or foot pedal) to come to a controlled stop during a failure.  It’s really more of a crutch in my opinion.  In fact, the last TC I had was 20+ years ago in a 1969 el Camino SS396 that had a metering block failure.  My instinct then was to try and shift to park after downshifting the automatic.  Somehow the drivetrain survived FAR better than the sheet metal.  But such is life.

The primary reason I made the change to an electronic brake was to clear up the cabin visually.  Not to mention the heater boxes didn’t do squat if I ever needed heat in the cabin.  I entertained an umbrella handle but I tend to gravitate towards things out of the norm.  Hence the E-Stopp system.

I lean toward the “different” vehicles.  That can be seen in our VS and our Suburban who would get SSI if he were human!

I wouldn't have called them emergencies like in women screaming, "we're going to die", oxygen masks deployed, screeching tires, and passers by saying OMG and shielding the eyes of the young ones, but had I not reacted with cat like reflexes, there would have been crushed metal, and maybe a little crying, if it was my truck.

Anyway, if there was someone standing outside at both events, they would not have noticed anything wrong at all.

In most of my cars I use the throttle to throw it around when needed, BUT I have certainly used the hand brake in the snow... mainly because I'm a d!c&around when driving in the snow.  

Shop truck blew a brake line in Chicago once and Mike pushed it all the way home on the parking brake, so I have seen it done.   With either a dual circuit master or tandem masters, you should be able to stop if you lost a brake in any of our cars and most of our clients would then pull over and call AAA.

I didn't share the situation that happened to me in a snow laden highway where I lost control, I popped the hand brake then I did a 180 and find myself going backward at 60 mph, then popped the hand brake again and did another 180 and found myself going the right way.  You know you do foolish things when your 20 something.  Maybe it was the fact that I was in a VW rabbit that helped  Great cars those Germans make, they out handle any other imports IMO.

Post Content
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×