Parking brake

This would prevent the car from rolling into the roadway by using the curb to block the front passenger tire in the event of a parking brake failure.

For example, the brake can be engaged when moving off an uphill slope, as this allows the driver to hold the accelerator and clutch pedals steady without the vehicle rolling backwards.

[16] This is known as a handbrake turn, which is often performed in street racing and rallying to initiate rear wheel drift.

[18][19] The most common placement of the parking brake is in the center console of the vehicle, in between the driver and front passenger seats.

[citation needed] Operating the brake is performed by pulling the lever up (which is connected to a ratchet) until there is tension.

Many car manufacturers such as Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Renault, Subaru and Volkswagen sell models whereby the parking brake automatically engages when the vehicle is stopped and is released when the gas pedal is pressed,[22] eliminating the need for the driver to operate a button.

[23] An extension of this system, known as hill-hold or hill-assist, prevents the vehicle from rolling back when moving-off on an uphill gradient.

Another less common setup for rear discs is the use of a separate, smaller, cable actuated caliper (such as the Wilwood MC4), which is used exclusively for the parking brake.

Power assisted parking brakes are usually found on large vans as well as some older heavy vehicles.

When releasing the parking brake, the same mechanism also provides assistance to the driver in disengaging the ratchet.

A disadvantage to this system is that if a vehicle requires towing and cannot provide its own air supply, an external supply must be provided to allow the parking brake to be released, or the brake shoes must be manually wound off against the springs.

Manual hand brakes serve to keep a piece of rolling stock stationary after it has been spotted in a rail yard or at a customer for unloading or loading.

Before the development of locomotive-actuated train braking systems in the late 19th century, American railroads employed brakemen to move about the tops of cars, setting hand brakes on the engineer's signal in an effort to stop the train in a timely manner.

Many brakemen lost life and limb as a result of falling from a moving train, icy and wet conditions often adding to the hazards involved in negotiating the top of a swaying boxcar.