Should You Engage the Handbrake or Shift to Neutral First When Parking a Manual Transmission Car?

[MacReagan]

From a structural and mechanical principle perspective, there is no difference whether you engage the handbrake or shift gears first when parking. However, in real-life situations, drivers should follow the principle of engaging the handbrake first and then shifting to P (Park) mode. Handbrake is more stable than P mode: In a car's transmission system, both P mode and N (Neutral) mode disconnect the power transmission between the input shaft and the output shaft. The difference is that P mode has an additional pawl gear mechanism at the end of the output shaft. How the handbrake stabilizes the vehicle: It clamps the rear wheel brake discs, preventing the rear wheels from rotating. Mechanical cable-type handbrakes use steel cables to pull the brake calipers, which then clamp the brake discs, while electronic handbrakes operate servo motors on the brake calipers to clamp the brake discs.