Some drivers, thinking about extraneous things, can drive without noticing the applied hand brake. This type of movement damages the vehicle's braking system. If a similar trouble happened to you, immediately remove the handbrake and test the car brakes yourself or with the help of specialists.
Getting under way on the handbrake and continuing to move is not easy, but possible. Often beginners sin with this, from the excitement forgetting the movements that experienced drivers perform on the machine. In this case, the entire braking system suffers and especially the brakes on the rear wheels. Some modern cars have a built-in handbrake protection system that activates an audible signal if the lever is raised or lowered, but not completely. The warning should be responded to as soon as the warning sound is heard. Older cars are also capable of notifying the owner of forgetfulness, but in the form of a luminous icon on the dashboard. Most often it is presented in the form of a burning or flashing red exclamation mark, noticing which you must immediately lower the handbrake. Driving with the handbrake applied is hard to miss from the way the car is moving. If it seems to you that the car is going slower than usual, you have to press harder on the gas to develop at least some speed, and you can't go uphill at all, check if the activated handbrake is the reason for this. After prolonged driving on the handbrake, you may notice an unpleasant smell arising from overheating of the brake pads. To prevent the brakes from failing altogether, you must immediately stop as soon as your nose smells something strange. To check how much your forgetfulness has managed to harm the car, drive onto a small hillock. With the car running, engage neutral, tighten the handbrake, slowly release the foot brake. If the car starts rolling, then the rear brakes have ceased to perform their direct function, and the only place where you can still go is the nearest auto repair shop. If you are not sure about the reliability of your parking brake, make it a rule to always not only apply the brake, but also engage the gear when parking your car. This is especially true on the hills. Depending on how the iron horse is standing, engage first or reverse gear, which will prevent it from rolling off the slope.
