Always. Putting the car in park merely activates the parking pawl. Parking pawls can break or disengage. Not only should a parking brake be used but to use it properly you should engage it while the vehicle is still running and you are depressing the brake pedal. This save wear and tear on the pawl.

This is what is wrong with the world today. We have technicians instead of mechanics. They know how to diagnose with computers and change out parts. Sadly many have no clue as to how those parts actually function.

Always.

Every time I park.

Only when on a steep grade, as already said above.

I have only ever used on a grade but I got curious and checked my owners manual which does state it should be applied every time. I wonder why they don't teach that in drivers ed?

I guess I should try to do it from now on.

Never, here in the flat Midwest. (Well, not since we sold the Healey.)

Jasdip -- Might you be leaving that parking brake on inadvertently?

I know that 'two footed drivers' need their brakes replaced more often. You can spot a two footed driver from the rear because you'll see the brake lights blip on and off while the car is in motion. I think they are hold-overs from the days of primarily manual transmissions, when you'd keep your left foot over the clutch pedal.

Always! Learned to drive in San Francisco.....Always put that brake on when parking. Good Habit.

I was taught that in drivers ed.

I always use mine, even parked in my carport which is a flat grade. It's just automatic to do so.. We did replace the one in my husbands car.

Cars. if bumped hard enough when in park, can become disengaged, in some cars it is tough to tell if they're in park, so having the emergency brake on will prevent any movement if the gear shift isn't properly engaged.

Always, except I was told not to use it in snowy weather.

Always. It's nothing but hills where we are, drive to, and park. Definitely has to be checked/replaced regularly. Newer cars now have push-button parking brake control. We always buy automatics.

Dad taught me to drive. He said never use it unless on a grade. Have no idea why. But dad said so.....

:-/

(yes.....it was like that growing up)

I better start setting the parking brake. DH took a driving test recently. The examiner wasn't happy that when he got into the car, the brake was not set. He also expected DH to set the brake after he parked at the end of the test. He asked which way DH would turn the wheels when parking on a grade -- going up and going down. He was adamant about stopping the car while the driver could still see the white line at a stop sign or traffic signal. (Only after that could you inch forward in case you could not see around the corner.)

We've driven for decades without a front license plate. Fortunately, DH read the "Rules of the Road" before taking the test; we put the front plate on the car.

Once DH and I nosed in to an angled space on the right side of the road up a steep hill in San Francisco. DH put the car in Park and set the brake. I unlatched the passenger door, which swung open immediately, and I fell right out onto the pavement. Flatlander!

Always

It depends. Always with my car with a manual transmission (even though I always leave it in gear), always when parked on sloping ground (frequently encountered in my hilly area), otherwise just sometimes.

Always. I often double-check because I am always afraid I have forgotten to set it. I also put my car into the opposite gear of where it would roll (someone advised to do this).

Just on a grade.

Yep, it's habit.

Why leave a manual in any gear? I always put it in neutral. Is it better to put it in gear?

Yes always.

'Why leave a manual in any gear? I always put it in neutral. Is it better to put it in gear?'

I don't know. Can it drift in neutral? It was so long ago that I don't remember who told me to put the gear in the reverse of a slope. Makes sense to me though. (My car is manual)

I will have to check it out!

Leaving it in gear in a sense is the same idea as using park for an automatic. But better, because the drive wheels are physically linked in a multiple teeth gear way (in a turning sense) to a stopped engine. Getting a dead engine to move when the car is stopped is mostly not possible. Unless it slips out of gear (highly unlikely), a parked car in gear will stay put.

As watchme mentioned, Park on an automatic engages a gizmo that jams a piece of metal into a toothed gear to prevent the shaft from turning. This is a bad example, but think of a baseball bat stuck in the spokes of a bike, when it gets to a support, it won't turn anymore. But the park gizmo can bend or break off. When a manual is put into gear, there is multitoothed gear to gear contact and that car won't easily move.

Neutral for a manual means there are no connections. Engine on or off, the car will roll.

So better to leave it in gear, regardless of brake or no brake. Rolling cars aren't good! Unattended rolling cars, that is. Sounds right to me.

Yes, but be sure to let the engine stop first before you take your foot off the clutch haha.

Rob, always put your car in gear when parked. And set the brake. I did put my car in neutral at a light, with my foot on the brake; then put it in gear. I didn't like straddling the brake and clutch with it in gear.

What elmer? You don't like making the engine have a hard stall and have the car lurching forward?

I will put it in gear now. I have never done so in 26 years. Hubby always did and I always forgot when he drove it, and did the lurching forward thing. Ugh. I have often put it in neutral with my foot on the brake, mainly to give my foot a rest in stop/go Nashville traffic.

Same as chisue, never. I would if I parked on a hill or incline but I haven't in years.

Chisue, I sometimes have left the parking spot with it on, but it soon lets me know. It doesn't drive well :-) When reversing, it doesn't move at all.

Oh, the two-footed drivers! I remember seeing them, but not in a while.

I know a couple of people who drive, constantly letting off and on the gas pedal. Drives me crazy!!! You can get car-sick. I want to shove them out of the seat and take over, just so we can get there.

Always, as a matter of habit. If car is tapped by another car when they are parking, your car can still move when left in "Park". Also, mechanic years ago said good rule to always use hand brake because they can rust if left in one position and would need to be replaced.

Always - in parking lots, on hills and flatland and even when I pull into the garage and park. I grew up on a steep hill in Pittsburgh and was taught to turn the steering wheel to the right when facing downhill and you turn the steering wheel to the left when parking facing uphill.

not in many years

' constantly letting off and on the gas pedal. '

Do you mean they try to coast as much as they can to conserve gas?

Snookums, no. It's not a long stretch without using the gas, it's constant on and off. Terrible habit.

Justlinda is right. The emergency brake will rust or seize if it's not used regularly.

" If car is tapped by another car when they are parking, your car can still move when left in "Park".

I don't think this is true. When in Park, the wheels won't turn. A car can lean a bit forward and backward if nudged because of how the suspension works but I don't think the wheels will move at all. Same with a manual transmission in gear. Same with any car with the parking brake on.

" good rule to always use hand brake because they can rust if left in one position and would need to be replaced."

Cars have four "brakes" - one on each wheel. When you step on the brake pedal, all four are put to work although the front two do most of the slowing/stopping when moving. When you engage the "parking brake", a mechanism separate from the normal brake system engages the rear brakes only. There is no separate "parking brake".

The rear brakes get used anytime you drive. What maybe the mechanic was talking about was the linkage mechanism getting stuck if it doesn't get moved periodically.

Yes, I use my parking brake......but then, I live in San Francisco.

For vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, apply the parking brake
before placing the shift lever in PARK, otherwise the load on the transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to move the shift lever out of PARK.

I agree with golfergrrl with slight modifications - put the car into neutral, apply the parking brake first, THEN take your foot off the brake pedal and let it ease against the braked resistance, then put it into Park.

Speaking of driving in SF, I remember doing so in the 60s when many intersections in residential neighborhoods had no stop signs or other traffic control. I'm thinking of areas like Russian Hill and Pacific Heights. Brakes weren't the essential item, the horn was - first one to the intersection, or the loudest horn, had right of way.

In the late 70's, after university, I drove down to San Francisco from Vancouver. I drove my little Yellow Pinto which had a standard transmission. I had a blast driving those hills in my car. There are two things I remember about driving there. First was how everyone stayed well back when I was starting up a hill (or maybe it was the B.C. plates on the car?) and second, driving down Lombard Street.

I can't fathom not using one's parking brake after each park. Why wouldn't you?

I guess I'm old enough, or European enough to have been taught that it's an emergency brake...

Is it just me?

I had my car (manual) roll once. I must have forgotten the manual brake. Either that or it was in reverse and didn't hold, if that's possible. I think I probably left the brake off (can't recall). Was very lucky the position of the wheel/tires rolled it to its new location safely! Never knew that could happen!

kjbjw, it's not an emergency brake. Put that on when a car is traveling at speed and you could easily lose control and even roll (spin) sideways, especially if the car isn't traveling straight be even if so.

I remember them being called emergency brakes too. I will have to look in the manual to see what it's called on this car. I've always imagined you'd have to be very careful and use it quite gradually during an emergency if traveling at any kind of speed.

Parking with a manual transmission it is prudent to use the lowest gear. That would be first or reverse. Higher gear ratio equals more resistance to rolling.

They really need to put basic auto shop back in schools.

When I took my driving test back in the dark ages not setting the parking brake would be several points taken off. Now in California they just have you drive around a block or two. A chimp could pass the driver's test. It's insane.

Never. See no reason to. I learned on a manual back in the day--have no memory of this NEED to use it people speak of here. Occasionally one gets set and that is a real nuisance to try and figure out the problem. It is interesting so many use it regularly when its name imply a rare need.

Yes, I do use the emergency brake, its hilly around here and plus if someone bumps your parked car, it can push it and so be safe and I always put it on.

where you have to replace it is driving with it and not remembering to release it.

We have enough trouble with braking due to hills and I have been told last time I got checked that I have 80% in brakes so that is good right now.

Here it's called a "hand brake"; there is no connotation of emergency use. It always goes on when you park. I also (I have a manual, can't stand automatics) leave the car in first gear when parked. As I always depress the clutch when starting the car, kangaroo-ing isn't an issue.

Hyundais have a "special feature" where they won't start at all unless the clutch is depressed. I was vaguely aware of this but as I always depress the clutch anyway it's not in the forefront of my mind. A few years ago I sold my late stepfather's Hyundai (in very good condition) to a friend of limited means who had had a succession of clunkers and I was glad to let her have stepdad's good car for a low price. The next morning she called to tell me the car wouldn't start. I felt terrible. I went over to her house to see it, got in and started it up straight away. She couldn't work out why she couldn't start it. That little light bulb flashed on over my head and I remembered you have to depress the clutch to start it- which I was doing automatically without thinking about it. She was used to leaving the car out of gear and just turning the key. So I guess Hyundai's expectation is that the car would be parked in gear.

Automatics won't start if the brake pedal is not depressed and the car in Park. I don't think I can turn off the ignition unless the car is in Park.

Now I'm confused about using the 'hand/parking/emergency' brake. I'd planned to put my (automatic) in Park and then engage the whatsis brake. No? I'm supposed to put it in some other gear? (Then when I used the car again I would have to disengage the whatsis brake and move the gear to Park to be able to start it.)

A manual is fun, but not in stop and go traffic or where there are stop signs block after block after block. Our automatic an optional "Sport" first gear setting within Drive. I use it when turning left across straggly traffic from a stop.

A manual is also useful. Especially in snow. Being able to start from a standstill in a higher gear helps. It also has more control in a manual. I can slow to a lower speed, ready to move up again instantly when needed. Great pickup, even in my pitiful 119 horsepower convertible. LOVE manual. I dread the day they quit making them. Or driverless cars reign supreme. But that's a whole nuther ball of wax.

We have optional 'manual' with Gears 2, 3, and 4, and all-wheel drive. If I do say so myself, I am an expert 'car rocker' (to get out of snowy ruts), but this car makes it even easier.

Only when I drive my car after my husband's parked it on our steep driveway. I know that is so bad for the car, but I always forget to check to see if he used it before taking off.

On an incline, yes.