this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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And even then, only on cars with those stupid electronic parking brakes instead of a proper mechanical emergency brake.
Pulling the handbrake on a moving vehicle is generally speaking really bad idea. It'll stop, yeah, but it'll be really scary for a moment before that.
Scary? Maybe if it's your first time doing it. It engages specific brakes in a specific way. Pull it slowly to see how it works.
Go pull a handbrake on a highway speed simulating an emergency situation and then report back. I'll wait.
I've done it. With the once-upon-a-time-cars it was just a metal wire connected to the drum brakes, you could easily modulate it.
moving the goalposts already are we?
There are only two reasons to pull the emergency brake in a moving vehicle: either you're messing around and making the car fishtail was the desired outcome, or your regular brakes failed and you need to stop fast instead of just coasting to a halt. In the latter case, the vast majority of people will lose control of the car immediately and it will be absolutely terrifying experience.
how dare someone drive in a manner you disapprove of and then not get in an accident.
I genuinely have no clue what you're even disagreeing with.
nor do i. well i do, i just don't understand why.
...what about handbrake turns?
That's the messing around part.
Was probably being too literal. Handbrake turns aren’t fishtailing and while I’ve only ever done them to mess around, they’re also used in rally and whatnot
Edit: I searched and while I always heard fishtailing used for uncontrolled rear slippage, it seems it can also just refer to oversteer? Didn’t know
Yeah I'm not a native english speaker so I'm not sure about the correct terminology. Oversteer is probably better one here.
Tell that to rally drivers.
Fun you mean 😬😁
How do you go drifting in the winter? That is quite common in my circles in Manitoba Canada. Lots of us grow up assuming that the e-brake is for drifting on ice (also largely because of how devastatingly flat the prairies are).
By pulling the handbrake if it's a FWD car or dumping the clutch if it's an RWD.
It's usually set up to be incredibly difficult to actually lock the rear wheels while you're at speed.
I don't think this is the case. At least I can't find any source to back that up.
Preach! Looking at you, Nissan. Need a computer to change brake pads. Are you outta your goddamn mind?
Takes 30 seconds to learn how to jump the switch with 3 cents of wire. If you don't understand that, you should not be working on brakes.
I'm with automakers on this. Countless morons switch brake pads DIY until they burn through the brake rotors. As long as North America refuses to safety inspect vehicles, this lockout saves lives.
Wait WHAT?
The European brain can not comprehend.