The parking brake is a mechanical braking system that prevents the movement of the wheels of the car when it is parked. It works through a cable connected to the rear wheels that compresses the brake disc and immobilizes the car and we must use it every time we park. Exceptionally, in case conventional brakes fail, it can be used as an emergency brake.
To use the handbrake, it is necessary to activate a lever that, as a general rule, is located to the right of the driver, between the two front seats. In most vehicles it is operated manually, although more and more cars are equipped with an automatic system to provide greater comfort to users. In the latter case, all you have to do is press a button to activate the braking system without having to make any effort.
The levers on cars equipped with a manual parking brake are riveted with a small button protruding from the end. There are drivers who, when operating the lever, press this small protrusion with their thumb to prevent the movement from being too abrupt. Others, on the other hand, ignore this small detail and pull the lever without releasing the button with their finger. The result is the same: the car is completely braked regardless of how we have performed the manoeuvre.
In a video that has gone viral on TikTok -accumulates more than 25 million views-, the driver of a car indicates that the proper way to apply the parking brake is by pulling the lever without pressing the button that appears at the end . We can see it in the following post published by the user autodoc.eu, which has more than 1.4 million followers.
But if the publication was intended to clear the doubts of the drivers, it has not succeeded. The comments that the post accumulates – more than 3,000 – are irrefutable proof of this general confusion, as evidenced by the fact that there are opinions for all tastes. Some published opinions are contrary to what the tiktoker recommends to do and advise moving the lever by pressing the button at the same time.
To find out exactly which is the most appropriate way to activate the parking brake, we have contacted an expert from the Feuvert chain of mechanical workshops. After viewing the images, the source consulted by Moveo considers that the tiktoker is wrong. “Activating the parking brake without using the button can cause premature wear of the mechanical ratchet mechanism,” says the specialist. The ratchet is a toothed piece of metal that slides when the lever is activated, allowing it to stay put for braking.
The expert warns that we must be very careful with the handling of the lever and that we must operate it gently. “Jerking hard on the lever like some people do is detrimental, putting excessive stress on the mechanism,†he says.
The controversy that arose as a result of the publication of this video is only applicable to the action of activating the parking brake. To deactivate it, there is no turning back: it is not possible to release it without releasing the button while we return the lever to its original position.
Finally, remember that when the parking brake is activated, a red light with the letter P comes on in the instrument panel. When deactivated, the light indicator disappears and that is when we can start the march. If by mistake we drive with the handbrake on, both the brake pads and the bearings will wear out prematurely.
