Is Emergency Braking Foot Brake or Hand Brake?

[IanLee]

Emergency braking is foot brake. Here are the specific introductions of foot brake and hand brake: 1. Usage scenario: Foot brake is used when the vehicle is moving; hand brake is used after the vehicle stops. 2. Function: Foot brake stops or slows down a moving vehicle; hand brake prevents the vehicle from moving after parking. 3. Classification: Foot brake is divided into disc type and drum type; hand brake is divided into electronic hand brake and mechanical hand brake. 4. Extended information: Foot brake is the main brake of the vehicle, which transfers the mechanical force of the brake pedal to the hydraulic pressure, and the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid is transmitted to the actuator of the brake disc through the pipeline; hand brake is an auxiliary brake, and the steel wire cable is connected to the rear brake shoe to brake the vehicle.

[Alexia]

In emergency situations, you should definitely use the foot brake. The handbrake is mainly for parking. Once on the highway, I encountered a sudden stop from the car in front, and my instinct was to slam the brake pedal hard—the car slowed down steadily and stopped. Using the handbrake at high speed could easily cause skidding or even rollover. During driving school, the instructor once demonstrated this: pulling the handbrake at 60 km/h immediately locked the rear wheels, causing a tailspin. Daily driving habits matter—in emergencies, press both feet firmly, with the left foot bracing against the floor for support and the right foot stomping the brake. Remember, vehicle safety features like ABS (anti-lock braking system) are designed around the foot brake. Many modern cars even have automatic brake assist, which activates when it detects you slamming the foot brake.

[DelDaniel]

A veteran taxi driver with 15 years of experience tells you that emergency braking must rely on the foot brake. Driving around the city every day picking up passengers, I've encountered countless electric bikes darting across the road, all relying on the conditioned reflex of my right foot to stomp hard. The handbrake is only used when stopping at red lights; in real danger, there's simply no time to react. My new car comes with an electronic handbrake, and the manual states that in emergencies, you need to hold the button, but in reality, testing shows it's not as quick as directly stepping on the foot brake. Factors like tire friction coefficient and suspension tuning are all optimized for the foot brake. Once on a rainy night on the highway, the road was slippery, and I found that lightly pressing the foot brake was more controllable than pulling the handbrake. It's recommended to check the brake pad thickness monthly—after all, this is a life-saving device.

[VanMichael]

Driving instructors will tell you to use the foot brake for emergency braking. During regular training for simulating sudden situations, the first action is to stomp hard on the brake pedal. The handbrake can only lock the rear wheels, which is dangerous when the vehicle's center of gravity shifts forward. Modern vehicles are equipped with BAS (Brake Assist System), which detects sudden hard pedal presses and provides additional pressure, a feature absent in handbrakes. Last time during emergency avoidance training with a student, stopping from 50 km/h took just three seconds with full foot braking, but using the handbrake caused drifting. Remember, the foot brake controls all four wheels, offering a braking distance that's over 30% more stable than the handbrake. Checking the brake fluid level is also crucial, as levels below the standard line can affect foot brake effectiveness.