How to brake?

axe220cdi

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Chaps,
I have a 53 plate E-class, W211 with a manual gearbox.
My wife recently asked me what to do if i left the car (with her in it), forgot to press the hand brake, and it started rolling?
Is there anyway of stopping it?
Many thanks,
Alex:confused:
 

television

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Pop it into gear
 

The Hooded Claw

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Actually yer know thats a very good point..........with a "Standard" handbrake if the driver gets out & the car Rolls the passenger can/could pull the handbrake to stop it

there is NO WAY of stopping a Merc from the passenger seat if it should roll!!!!
 

brianbrian

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My wife could reach it with her nose, when people look at her they think she's eating a banana. Hope this helps
 

Micman

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Chaps,
I have a 53 plate E-class, W211 with a manual gearbox.
My wife recently asked me what to do if i left the car (with her in it), forgot to press the hand brake, and it started rolling?


Tell her to jump out! Unless of course she has a good life insurance policy - then tell her to sit still :lol:
 

S.Speed

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So when are ypu planning this event ?? :)
 

television

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As long as he hasn't left the engine running! :shock:

With the engine running, then the steering wheel could be turned towards the kerb, or turned off and put in gear;):rolleyes:
 

Xtractorfan

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Or she could close her eyes and do the normal passenger ..help to slow the car ..by pressing her feet firmly into the passenger footwell....
 

wireman

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Drivers with the habit of always using the parking brake will be immune to this problem.

After all when all is said and done you would not pass your test without demonstrating competent use of the brakes.

Any action that may stop a run away vehicle will take time and in some situations there will not be enough time for these efforts to be sufficient enough to save the day.

Get into the parking brake habbit now and put your wife's mind at ease, for guidance I suggest reading Roadcraft the police drivers manual, regardless of what its critics say its the book they throw at errant motorists.

All the comments that this causes undue wear and tear and cable stretching that my previous replies to hand brake questions have raised are to me just lame excuses for one very common facet of poor driving, albeit that its most unlikely to be the prime cause of a serious incident.

The UK driving test folks will not allow the use of foot pedal parking brake equiped cars to be used for the test unless dual controls are fitted because like your wife their examiners won't have any emergency brakes available to them.

If the scenario you suggest were ever to materialise what could happen is that the driver will get prosecuted for dangerous driving and the insurers might rightfully say no.
 
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A

axe220cdi

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Thanks chaps, but with the engine off, she won't pop into gear! I've already tried.
 

muller1

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The UK driving test folks will not allow the use of foot pedal parking brake equiped cars to be used for the test unless dual controls are fitted because like your wife their examiners won't have any emergency brakes available to them.

When you say "The UK driving test folks" do you mean the DVLA, or the driving school, because when I passed my test the handbrake was the pull out umbrella type handle and was at the drivers right side under the dashboard and no examiner would be able to reach it and my car did not have dual controls.
I did not realise it was a requirement for the car you took your test in to have the facility for the examiner or passenger to apply the brake




If the scenario you suggest were ever to materialise what could happen is that the driver will get prosecuted for dangerous driving and the insurers might rightfully say no.

A couple of years ago it was a well recorded fact that a british made car, ( I think it was a Vauxhall made car but I would not swear to it) had the habbit of rolling away even if the hand brake was applied correctly.
There was a design fault and it was a recall jobbie but I did not hear of drivers being prosecuted for it.

Mike
 

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A couple of years ago it was a well recorded fact that a british made car, ( I think it was a Vauxhall made car but I would not swear to it) had the habbit of rolling away even if the hand brake was applied correctly.
There was a design fault and it was a recall jobbie but I did not hear of drivers being prosecuted for it.

Mike

This is true,,and insurance companies do pay out when people make mistakes
 

roadhog

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My wife could reach it with her nose, when people look at her they think she's eating a banana. Hope this helps

Does anybody know if Brian is recovering in hospital after this post or do I have to dust the suit off ready for his funeral? :shock:
 

dizzy lizzy

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Does anybody know if Brian is recovering in hospital after this post or do I have to dust the suit off ready for his funeral? :shock:

em - i've only just read this - all is well - just going off to do Brian's ironing-while he's wearing it:smile:
 

television

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em - i've only just read this - all is well - just going off to do Brian's ironing-while he's wearing it:smile:

What !!!! he is wearing a banana skin:roll:
 

brianbrian

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When I think of how dangerous it was when Lizzy and I were younger 40yrs ago, I showed her how to drive in my pride and joy a 1966 jaguar Mkii. The hand brake was on the right side of the drivers seat ,so I could not reach it sitting in the passenger seat, if ever in an emergency if I had to, also when I first got it, the amount of times I got out of the car and caught the brake lever with my leg - and it would move foreward or back wards ,so always left it in gear, what a bad design when you think of it by jaguar.
 

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