Foot on the brake

dewsweeper said:
Even on a rainy evening in slow ,crawling traffic constantly coming to a halt every few yards?
Such a hard job to reach out and operate the hand brake!
Too many drivers cocooned in their modern ,comfortable cars completely oblivious to other road users.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's too much of a pain to constantly reach for my hand/foot brake (auto) in such conditions, I will sit on my brake pedal thank you.

SwingsitlikeHogan said:
You may be - but you have no control over what drivers and pedestrians around you might do - and what they do of course might well affect you. And so you should be interested in, or at least attentive to, what others are doing.
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Don't tell me what I should do! I'm fully aware of what's going on around me and more importantly in front of me, my brake lights are to warn people I'm slowing or stopping or indeed at a full stop, if someone ignores my brake lights there's not a great deal I can do about it, even if I saw them coming up quickly from behind!
 
Fish,
I really hope ,without much expectation,that you have more consideration on the golf course,
I am afraid you seem completely oblivious to the other people around you.
 
dewsweeper said:
Fish,
I really hope ,without much expectation,that you have more consideration on the golf course,
I am afraid you seem completely oblivious to the other people around you.
Click to expand...

What the hell is how I crawl amongst traffic got to do with playing golf!!

This forum has brought all the wombats out tonight!!
 
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Tossers.
Yes indeed.
Selfishness is a human trait and it would be fair to assume it would cover all aspects of your life,hence a golfing reference.
EYG
 
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Bunkermagnet said:
Ah but if you had left enough of a gap, as per the Highway Code and common sense, you wouldn't be able to touch the car in front.
in any case, insurance would pass all the blame through to the initial car that caused the contact. Resulting impacts would all ultimately be passed back to that offending motor.:)
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Not necessarily. Common practice is to claim off the person who went into the back of you, regardless of who was at fault. It would take an outstanding legal rep to argue that one. No insurance company is going to accept more blame than they absolutely have to. Its the easiest argument to make that the vehicle in front should have left a sufficient gap from the car in front even though their client was initially at fault. That's not to say it can't be done though. And best of luck to anyone making that argument. It would be worth a go.

I have a modern vehicle with auto foot brake. My lights don't stay on when I release the foot brake and the brake stays engaged. And I have never seen or heard of any others that do. If they do, it is uncommon.
Sadly, the design of auto vehicles means that its much more convenient to sit stationary with your foot on the brake pedal.

Drivers leaving their foot on the brake only annoys me when I'm working, but that's usually because I can't see their eyes in the rear view mirror.

There are pro's and cons for both though. In my experience...

If your sat stationary at a set of lights or a junction, engage the handbrake, it makes for a safer start, especially with manual handbrakes. Auto's don't make much of a difference.
Anyone who thinks you will press down harder on the foot brake if your rear ended, you're mistaken. Almost every RTC I attend that involves more than one vehicle rear end shunting, is because the car that was hit first was in gear with no handbrake on. The momentum of the car moves faster than your body can even react to. (unless you see it coming, thats a different storey. Not many do though)
Guaranteed, 9/10 people will only hit the brake once they are stationary again. And if the car is in gear, your left foot will come up off the clutch and the car will start to pull off, there will be enough momentum to prevent it stalling, in fact it will accelerate just to add to your misery and stall when its embedded in the boot in front.

With the car in neutral and the hand brake applied, the car will travel the least distance if it's rear ended. Its not just coincidence it's how we are taught.

The exception I would advise though and one I always employ, is when sat stationary on a fast road, I leave my foot on the brake to show all of the vehicles behind that I am stationary waiting to turn. Far too many drivers now have their eyes in their lap texting and don't notice the vehicle in front has stopped waiting to turn until its too late. And one thing I will NEVER do, is turn my wheels towards the junction whilst I wait. If you are rear ended, your car is going to steer into oncoming traffic. Always point the wheels into the safe space until you begin your manoeuvre.
 
richart said:
Worse thing on my car is the hill hold assist. Hate it and it appears you can not turn it off. I have been holding cars on the clutch for over 30 years, so don't need any help.:whistle:
Click to expand...

If your car is modern enough to have "Hill start assist", you should be able to go into the "Menu" and turn it off.
 
TonyN said:
Not necessarily. Common practice is to claim off the person who went into the back of you, regardless of who was at fault. It would take an outstanding legal rep to argue that one. No insurance company is going to accept more blame than they absolutely have to. Its the easiest argument to make that the vehicle in front should have left a sufficient gap from the car in front even though their client was initially at fault. That's not to say it can't be done though. And best of luck to anyone making that argument. It would be worth a go.
Click to expand...
Having been the front car of a 4 car shunt where the offending car went into the car (stationary) in front of him, writing his off, the car he initially hit as well as severly damaging the car in front of that that was then pushed into me, I can testify that although yes its normal practice to claim off the veihicle that goes into the back of you (especially when youre stationary) the insurance companies will pass the costs down the line so in the end you are no fault, and the the car that was the instigator or the whole event is the one that carries the can. The guy that caused mine ended up having all 4 cars costs against his poilicy, which was 2 write offs (1 being his own) plus 2 repairs.
 
TonyN said:
Not necessarily. Common practice is to claim off the person who went into the back of you, regardless of who was at fault. It would take an outstanding legal rep to argue that one. No insurance company is going to accept more blame than they absolutely have to. Its the easiest argument to make that the vehicle in front should have left a sufficient gap from the car in front even though their client was initially at fault. That's not to say it can't be done though. And best of luck to anyone making that argument. It would be worth a go.

I have a modern vehicle with auto foot brake. My lights don't stay on when I release the foot brake and the brake stays engaged. And I have never seen or heard of any others that do. If they do, it is uncommon.
Sadly, the design of auto vehicles means that its much more convenient to sit stationary with your foot on the brake pedal.

Drivers leaving their foot on the brake only annoys me when I'm working, but that's usually because I can't see their eyes in the rear view mirror.

There are pro's and cons for both though. In my experience...

If your sat stationary at a set of lights or a junction, engage the handbrake, it makes for a safer start, especially with manual handbrakes. Auto's don't make much of a difference.
Anyone who thinks you will press down harder on the foot brake if your rear ended, you're mistaken. Almost every RTC I attend that involves more than one vehicle rear end shunting, is because the car that was hit first was in gear with no handbrake on. The momentum of the car moves faster than your body can even react to. (unless you see it coming, thats a different storey. Not many do though)
Guaranteed, 9/10 people will only hit the brake once they are stationary again. And if the car is in gear, your left foot will come up off the clutch and the car will start to pull off, there will be enough momentum to prevent it stalling, in fact it will accelerate just to add to your misery and stall when its embedded in the boot in front.

With the car in neutral and the hand brake applied, the car will travel the least distance if it's rear ended. Its not just coincidence it's how we are taught.

The exception I would advise though and one I always employ, is when sat stationary on a fast road, I leave my foot on the brake to show all of the vehicles behind that I am stationary waiting to turn. Far too many drivers now have their eyes in their lap texting and don't notice the vehicle in front has stopped waiting to turn until its too late. And one thing I will NEVER do, is turn my wheels towards the junction whilst I wait. If you are rear ended, your car is going to steer into oncoming traffic. Always point the wheels into the safe space until you begin your manoeuvre.
Click to expand...
My VW golf lights stay on when the auto brake is on foot off pedals , I can see them in the busses or when I back into my drive.
next door neighbors golf is the same so don't think it's a fault.
I can't believe only VW and Mercedies have this system .
its getting serviced soon so will ask the technician when I am there.
 
richart said:
I went on a forum for the car, and everyone said it couldn't be turned off. Will check further.
Click to expand...

As far as I am aware, you cannot turn off hill start assist on your car Rich.
I have it on my Qashqai, and despite a "menu system" that reads like a check list for a NASA launch, there is nowhere in there that enables me to do so.
My friend from VW has confirmed that some of the cars in the VW range have AUTO HOLD, which is not the same as the system used on my Qashqai, or of any other electronic parking brake that I have heard of. It's certainly a new one on me. And yes, the brake lights are meant to stay on. But as I say, this is not the same system as a dedicated electronic parking brake, which has basically replaced the old fashioned, familiar type of manual handbrake. My Qashqai also has hill start assist, and for all I know the brakes lights may stay on when this comes into play. I've never noticed to be honest, but I do know that they don't stay on when I apply my electronic handbrake/parking brake call it what you will.
As for when I'm sitting in heavy traffic or waiting at traffic lights I too will use my common sense (yes I have some).
If the lights are turning red as I approach, and I know that I am likely to be sitting stationary for a minute or so, I will employ the use of my handbrake. Same with a level crossing. If the barriers are just going down, I apply my handbrake, again because I know that I am going to be sitting there for a while.
I do this all the time, but am more aware of the situation during the hours of darkness/rain.
It's not so bad for the driver behind when it's daylight, but in the dark and the wet, while you are cocooned in your air conditioned tin box, oblivious to the world around you with your foot on your footbrake, take a look through your rear view mirror at the person sitting in the car behind you. They will be lit up like a Christmas tree, courtesy of your bright red brake lights. 3 times more lit up than if you had your rear fog light on (because most modern cars only have one of those, whereas they have 3 or more brake lights of the same wattage).
I put my handbrake on out of common courtesy to the person sitting behind, because I know how it annoys me.
To get annoyed, or to take offence because somebody is pointing this common courtesy out to you says a lot about your general attitude to motoring. Sorry.
 
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I do pretty much what you do Smiffy but find when I'm behind someone who's brake lights are on at traffic lights it's invariably a 'Chelsea Tractor' so it's like having Christmas tree lights dangling across my windscreen!
 
richart said:
Because I can't stand it.:p
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Fair enough:)
Unless its in the user handbook, I would suggest though that since it's probably there because of the drive for greater safety aspects, disabling it might cause a problem with your insurance in the event of an accident.
 
Your mate at VW has confirmed that the lights on my golf stay on when in Auto Hold but did he say why ?
it does seem a very inconsiderate system to fit and actively tell customers this is how it works .
but believe me in the handbook it says and I quote " When the driver pulls away, the Auto Hold function releases the electronic parking brake again, The green indicator lamp on the instrument cluster will go out and the vehicle will start to move." End quote !
so clearly this is part of the electronic brake system.
 
clubchamp98 said:
Your mate at VW has confirmed that the lights on my golf stay on when in Auto Hold but did he say why ?
Click to expand...

No mate, just that that's the way their supposed to work!
Looking at the bigger picture, most (if not ALL) of the bigger manufacturers are working on the fully autonomous car, something we will see appearing in ever increasing numbers over the next few years.
Nissan themselves have a fully autonomous Qashqia planned for 2018, with a "watered down" version possibly coming out later this year.
I can only assume that things like the brakes on your VW are being used as a "test bed" for when that day finally arrives
 
Smiffy said:
No mate, just that that's the way their supposed to work!
Looking at the bigger picture, most (if not ALL) of the bigger manufacturers are working on the fully autonomous car, something we will see appearing in ever increasing numbers over the next few years.
Nissan themselves have a fully autonomous Qashqia planned for 2018, with a "watered down" version possibly coming out later this year.
I can only assume that things like the brakes on your VW are being used as a "test bed" for when that day finally arrives
Click to expand...
Thats interesting because if there is no driver you can't blind him with your brake lights.
But until that day this seems to go against most people's idea of good driving etiquette.
But most etiquette in driving has gone these days anyway the standard has plummeted in my opinion.

Thanks for the info you learn something everyday.
 
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