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Why would you want to pull the handbrake in a turn while going 50 mph? And what is going to happen if you pull the handbrake at 50 mph other than the handbrake

Why would you want to pull the handbrake in a turn while going 50 mph? And what is going to happen if you pull the handbrake at 50 mph other than the handbrake burning out? I have not had a car with a handbrake at all but I drove a few rentals with one and they drove normally even when I forgot to take them off the handbrake, the thing is just a lever with a wire, it cannot stop the car even on idle. Or do they use a rally car with a hydraulic handbrake that does something at that speed?

nradov 5y ago
The point of pulling the handbrake is to artificially trigger a slide in a controlled environment in order to verify that the student driver has the vehicle control skills necessary to recover. It's similar to what can happen driving on ice.
- pandaman 5y ago
  So the car is supposed to slide when you pull the handbrake? This will be hard to pull off in the US where most cars have an electronic parking brake and the ones that have the actual lever have it connected to a weak drum brake that cannot lock wheels when the engine is running. Also, the whole test seems to be set up like a gold rush for lawyers - if you actually managed to slide the car and roll over at 50 mph you are almost certain to have some injuries not to mention the damage to the car. Who is liable for those, the government that ordered the driver to execute a dangerous maneuver in order to obtain a driving license? What if the driver dies from the injuries?
  - jjav 5y ago
    > So the car is supposed to slide when you pull the handbrake? Yes, that's what will happen if you brake the rear wheels (what the handbrake does) in a turn. The point isn't that you'd ever do that, of course, but to simulate the rear end of the car sliding which can happen if you hit ice, oil or even uneven water patches. Can you control that slide? It's really awesome if Denmark is including car control in the test. The US should do the same. I strongly encourage you (everyone) to find a car control clinic in your area and participate. Even a single weekend will raise your car control skills significantly if you've never had any instruction before. Newer cars have a lot of traction control magic that try to save you and often do, but there's still no substitute for the driver having skills as well. Sure the DMV manual will tell you to steer into the skid, but there's no way to learn this muscle memory without practice and the most productive practice is with a good instructor. (I used to instruct the BMW club car control clinics (open to all cars) before life got too busy, hopefully will take it up again in the future.) > Also, the whole test seems to be set up like a gold rush for lawyers OP said this was in Denmark, so presumably every little thing isn't a "gold rush for lawyers" unlike in the USA.
    - pandaman 5y ago
      Handbrakes do not always break rear wheels for one, some cars have front parking breaks. I am pretty sure you will be off the road if you locked your front wheels in a turn no matter how much muscle memory you have, you cannot steer with locked wheels. And I have not seen a car where a handbrake could lock wheels even on idle, least on driving in gear at 50 mph. I don't doubt such breaks exist, rally cars supposed to have them, but on my car, for instance, all that is going to happen if I pull the handbrake flap in gear is nothing and if I hold it for 5 seconds it will do an emergency stop using its ESC,ABS and all kinds of smart technology (I think it's also supposed to move to the shoulder and turn on hazards but I never really tried it). It won't slide for sure. How am I supposed to pass a test like that? Rent a 500K rally car? >OP said this was in Denmark, so presumably every little thing isn't a "gold rush for lawyers" unlike in the USA People can just kill themselves on orders from government in Denmark? Sounds like the country not to take as an example to me.
      - jjav 5y ago
        > Handbrakes do not always break rear wheels for one, some cars have front parking breaks. Which one specifically? I've never encountered one and a brief web search didn't find any. I'm sure it can exist, but seems exceedingly rare at best. I mean this in the most encouraging way possible: your comments (this and previous) suggest you have zero experience with car control. I greatly encourage you to find and participate in a few car control clinics to see how cars actually behave on the edge of adhesion and beyond. It's a great learning experience and also just fun. Most importantly, if you ever do hit ice/oil/etc, it might just save you from a crash. > People can just kill themselves on orders from government in Denmark? No need to be silly. Surely these tests are done in a suitable location, and there's zero risk from a bit of a slide or spin. Again, something you could experience and learn in a car control class so it stops becoming scary.
        pandaman 5y ago
        Wiki article on the handbrake points at the brands, also ZF makes this https://press.zf.com/press/en/media/media_15682.html https://press.zf.com/press/en/media/media_15682.html not for the parts collectors I imagine. It is hard to check parking brake locations on the cars via internet though. And thanks for your concern about my car control, you don't seem to be talking about the things I mentioned though: the lack of parking brakes on many cars and the lack of parking brake capable to lock wheels on many more. I am not going to go to your clinic anyways so if you don't want to talk on the topic I will bow out. Besides, you just informed me that spinning out is completely safe and won't harm me so why again I need to train for that?

nradov 5y ago

The point of pulling the handbrake is to artificially trigger a slide in a controlled environment in order to verify that the student driver has the vehicle control skills necessary to recover. It's similar to what can happen driving on ice.

pandaman 5y ago
So the car is supposed to slide when you pull the handbrake? This will be hard to pull off in the US where most cars have an electronic parking brake and the ones that have the actual lever have it connected to a weak drum brake that cannot lock wheels when the engine is running. Also, the whole test seems to be set up like a gold rush for lawyers - if you actually managed to slide the car and roll over at 50 mph you are almost certain to have some injuries not to mention the damage to the car. Who is liable for those, the government that ordered the driver to execute a dangerous maneuver in order to obtain a driving license? What if the driver dies from the injuries?
- jjav 5y ago
  > So the car is supposed to slide when you pull the handbrake? Yes, that's what will happen if you brake the rear wheels (what the handbrake does) in a turn. The point isn't that you'd ever do that, of course, but to simulate the rear end of the car sliding which can happen if you hit ice, oil or even uneven water patches. Can you control that slide? It's really awesome if Denmark is including car control in the test. The US should do the same. I strongly encourage you (everyone) to find a car control clinic in your area and participate. Even a single weekend will raise your car control skills significantly if you've never had any instruction before. Newer cars have a lot of traction control magic that try to save you and often do, but there's still no substitute for the driver having skills as well. Sure the DMV manual will tell you to steer into the skid, but there's no way to learn this muscle memory without practice and the most productive practice is with a good instructor. (I used to instruct the BMW club car control clinics (open to all cars) before life got too busy, hopefully will take it up again in the future.) > Also, the whole test seems to be set up like a gold rush for lawyers OP said this was in Denmark, so presumably every little thing isn't a "gold rush for lawyers" unlike in the USA.
  - pandaman 5y ago
    Handbrakes do not always break rear wheels for one, some cars have front parking breaks. I am pretty sure you will be off the road if you locked your front wheels in a turn no matter how much muscle memory you have, you cannot steer with locked wheels. And I have not seen a car where a handbrake could lock wheels even on idle, least on driving in gear at 50 mph. I don't doubt such breaks exist, rally cars supposed to have them, but on my car, for instance, all that is going to happen if I pull the handbrake flap in gear is nothing and if I hold it for 5 seconds it will do an emergency stop using its ESC,ABS and all kinds of smart technology (I think it's also supposed to move to the shoulder and turn on hazards but I never really tried it). It won't slide for sure. How am I supposed to pass a test like that? Rent a 500K rally car? >OP said this was in Denmark, so presumably every little thing isn't a "gold rush for lawyers" unlike in the USA People can just kill themselves on orders from government in Denmark? Sounds like the country not to take as an example to me.
    - jjav 5y ago
      > Handbrakes do not always break rear wheels for one, some cars have front parking breaks. Which one specifically? I've never encountered one and a brief web search didn't find any. I'm sure it can exist, but seems exceedingly rare at best. I mean this in the most encouraging way possible: your comments (this and previous) suggest you have zero experience with car control. I greatly encourage you to find and participate in a few car control clinics to see how cars actually behave on the edge of adhesion and beyond. It's a great learning experience and also just fun. Most importantly, if you ever do hit ice/oil/etc, it might just save you from a crash. > People can just kill themselves on orders from government in Denmark? No need to be silly. Surely these tests are done in a suitable location, and there's zero risk from a bit of a slide or spin. Again, something you could experience and learn in a car control class so it stops becoming scary.
      - pandaman 5y ago
        Wiki article on the handbrake points at the brands, also ZF makes this https://press.zf.com/press/en/media/media_15682.html https://press.zf.com/press/en/media/media_15682.html not for the parts collectors I imagine. It is hard to check parking brake locations on the cars via internet though. And thanks for your concern about my car control, you don't seem to be talking about the things I mentioned though: the lack of parking brakes on many cars and the lack of parking brake capable to lock wheels on many more. I am not going to go to your clinic anyways so if you don't want to talk on the topic I will bow out. Besides, you just informed me that spinning out is completely safe and won't harm me so why again I need to train for that?