116 Posts. Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 17, 2010. I have always believed Flat ground = Neutral w/ parking brake on. Hill = 1st gear w/ parking brake on. Some people on the e30 forums are saying that, on flat surfaces, they leave the car in gear with NO handbrake. I'm starting to like this idea. Tonight, I went to pick up my e30 from some Electric parking brakes provide better control than the cable-operated brake system. The electronic parking brake gives more edge over conventional brakes. They are more smooth and reliable. Occupies less space. Since there are no brake cables, wires, or hand brake levers involved, it occupies less space in the car. I bought new Merc Vito manual - with no hand brake lever. It has so call hill start assist. It's works 50% positive but 50 % fail. It's has so call parking brake with 4th pedal on the floor and abrupt release handle hard to access down under steering wheel. It's bloody nightmare Professor Martyn Thomas ( Letters, 27 November) makes a powerful case for great caution in introducing "driverless" cars. Many manufacturers have replaced the traditional manual handbrake with Electronic parking brakes work in the same way as manual handbrakes. A cable connects the handbrake lever to the brake pads or shoes on the rear wheels' brake discs or drums in the manual version. When you pull the lever, the brake pads engage the drums or discs, and the vehicle will not move. If you release the lever, you'll also release The electric parking brake or the EPB is an advanced version of a conventional parking brake or handbrake. Sometimes, people also refer to this system as 'Electronic Parking Brake.'. Technically, this system is a sub-part of the more advanced 'Brake by Wire' system. The main function of parking brakes is to avoid the vehicle's motion The parking brake is a completely mechanical system that bypasses the hydraulic braking system to stop the car in an emergency or keep it in place when parked. Steel cables are attached to the parking brake lever and when the lever is pulled the cables tighten, pulling another lever that compresses the brake shoes (on drum brakes) to stop the Just 24% of new cars in showrooms have manual handbrakes, study finds. Manufacturers are rapidly switching to electronic parking brakes. In 2018, 36% of new models had a handbrake lever, showing 2. Take your foot off the gas and/or turn off the cruise control. Lifting off the gas will begin to slow the car down, just by virtue of friction and gravity. Also, your cruise control system should turn off as soon as you touch the brake or clutch, but to be safe, make sure to switch it off manually. 3. The manual handbrake is becoming an endangered species on the new-car market, with 70 per cent of current models coming only with an electronic parking brake with no manual option, new research To practice braking smoothly in a manual car, you should: Select a quiet, level and straight section of road. Park up on the left. Select 1st gear and move off when ready (don't forget the safety checks). When you have reached a speed of approximately 10 mph, remove your foot from the accelerator and gently apply pressure on the brake pedal. In this video we cover how and when to use the parking brake, as well as why it shouldn't really be called an emergency brake. In this video we cover how and when to use the parking brake, as well as why it shouldn't really be called an emergency brake.