All vehicles are equipped with a comprehensive safety system intended to keep you and your passengers safe while you're travelling to your next destination. One of the main components of this system is your car's emergency brake. Stick around to learn more about emergency brakes, how they operate, and when to use them!
Understanding the emergency brake: Its purpose and usage
An emergency brake, also known as a parking brake, is a portion of your system's overall main brake system. However, your vehicle's emergency brake operates independently from your main brakes.
How it operates is that the emergency brake bypasses a vehicle's hydraulic brake system to lock your rear wheels into place, preventing the vehicle from moving further. That said, in cars that operate with disc brakes, the driver activates a corkscrew mechanism that forces a small piston in the brake pads.
Ultimately, you can think of your emergency brake as your backup braking system that you should only use in specific scenarios, which we'll touch on later.
Types of parking brakes
Brakes on cars will be one of the following:
Pedal emergency brake
A pedal emergency brake is a small pedal located on the floor in front of the driver's seat in manual transmission vehicles. To use a foot pedal brake, you'll need to press down and wait until you click it into gear. To release the foot brake, pull the lever above the brake.
Center emergency brake lever
A center lever is a type of emergency brake positioned between the two front seats in a vehicle. To engage the parking brake lever, pull the lever upwards until you hear it click. To release the emergency brake, use the button on the front of the lever and push the entire brake downward.
Push button emergency brake
A push-button emergency brake is often located on the console controls in a vehicle and is often connected to your car's electronic system. Simply push the button to engage and release the e-brake. Many of these electric brakes tend to engage when you put your vehicle in park and turn off when you move it into gear.
Stick lever emergency brake
A stick lever emergency brake is located under the instrument panel in older cars and is not as common. All you need to do is pull the lever up or push it downward to engage and release it.
When to use a parking brake
Now that you know what a parking brake is and how it operates, let's go over the types of situations where you would use this type of braking system:
When you're parking
Whether on a hill or a flat surface, it's essential that you use your parking brake while parked. The parking brake activates, keeping your wheels in place to ensure that your vehicle will not move.
Your vehicle's main braking system fails
If your vehicle's brake system fails, you can use your parking brake in this type of emergency situation to emergency stop a car.
Performing vehicle maintenance
Whether you're changing a flat tire or performing winter car maintenance, activating the parking brake will keep your vehicle from moving and causing injuries. It will also make your maintenance easier to perform.
Is it okay to drive with the emergency brake on?
No, we don't recommend using your parking brake while driving unless it's an emergency. Using the parking brake while you drive can put unnecessary strain on your vehicle, which can lead to other problems down the road.
Ensure you're safe behind the wheel with customized car insurance
To operate a motor vehicle in Canada, all drivers must carry valid car insurance. While some policies are mandatory, others are optional and meant to offer motorists more peace of mind behind the wheel. Here's a closer look at the types of auto insurance you need to consider:
Contact BrokerLink for insurance solutions
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