Should You Shift to Neutral or Pull the Handbrake First When Driving?
2 Answers
Shift into gear first and then pull the handbrake. This approach helps prevent the vehicle from rolling and avoids sudden acceleration due to operational errors, which could lead to traffic accidents. Therefore, when starting the vehicle, it's essential to check the status of the handbrake first. If the handbrake has already been released prematurely, you need to press the foot brake. Here is some additional information about the handbrake and gear shifting: 1. The handbrake, also known as the parking brake, primarily provides resistance to the vehicle when parked to prevent it from rolling. Its braking force is much weaker than that of the service brake. Currently, common types of handbrakes include electronic handbrakes and mechanical handbrakes. 2. Shifting gears refers to the transmission's function of altering the torque and speed of the engine crankshaft to meet the varying demands for traction and speed under different driving conditions, such as starting, accelerating, and overcoming various road conditions. This allows the car to operate at a very low and stable speed.
I'm the kind of driver who pays extra attention to car maintenance, and from my experience, shifting to neutral before applying the parking brake is crucial. Here's why: when you park with the engine still running, if you don't shift to neutral first and directly pull the parking brake, it puts stress on the transmission—especially in automatic cars. Keeping the gear in drive keeps the driveshaft under constant tension, which over time can lead to transmission issues like overheating or wear. Shifting to neutral disengages the connection, allowing the car to settle smoothly before applying the parking brake for secure parking. Having driven for many years, this habit has helped me avoid many minor issues. Also, don’t overlook parking on slopes—getting the sequence wrong could cause the car to roll. In short, adopting this routine not only protects your car but also brings peace of mind while driving.
