Question about using my emergency break

If I use my emergency brake while going around 30 MPH will I be doing damage to my car? Car is an automatic if that matters.

Thanks in advance!

If I use my emergency brake while going around 30 MPH will I be doing damage to my car? Car is an automatic if that matters.

Thanks in advance!
Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde

Nah you are good it will just cause some extra wear on your rear brake pads and rotors. It wont cause any damage to the transmission, engine, or anything like that. There is a safety concern though if you pull the E brake hard you could lock the rear wheels and cause you to fishtail especially if road is wet.

Really depends on the type of e-brake your car has.
Most newer ones have electric e-brakes (push button) not cable controlled (mechanical pedal or lever) ones.
Electric ones fully engage so using it while driving might give you whiplash & will cause excessive wear on your pads & rotors but not necessarily damage anything, except for your neck.
With mechanical (lever/pedal) ones you can control the tension & if you did it by mistake I doubt you fully engaged them so I wouldn't worry about it.

^^^ What he said.


The last two cars I've had both had electronic brakes. BTW, no manual I've read recently refers to them as "emergency brakes" rather, "parking brakes". But I drive manual transmissions, so it's easy to disengage the drive train in an emergency; just push in the clutch.


If they're electronic and you have a semi-automatic transmission, it's sorta like going 30 MPH and then shifting the car into reverse, or Park. It might work once or twice, but not after that.


Question, why are you using the parking brakes? Is there something wrong with normally braking? Mushy pedal going to the floor? Metallic screeching? How many miles on the car and when was the last time the brakes were inspected?

What he said. Why are you even using your parking brake instead of regular braking.

What he said. Why are you even using your parking brake instead of regular braking. Originally Posted by DoubleEagle

I have been teaching my son to drive in this huge open parking lot in the back of a warehouse that is closed all Sunday.

It's perfect for this because there are no curbs, no light poles - nothing just a huge flat parking lot.

The other times we've been there he sat on my lap, but he is too big for that now, so I told him I would let him drive & I'll sit in the passenger seat.

^^^ What he said.


The last two cars I've had both had electronic brakes. BTW, no manual I've read recently refers to them as "emergency brakes" rather, "parking brakes". But I drive manual transmissions, so it's easy to disengage the drive train in an emergency; just push in the clutch.


If they're electronic and you have a semi-automatic transmission, it's sorta like going 30 MPH and then shifting the car into reverse, or Park. It might work once or twice, but not after that.


Question, why are you using the parking brakes? Is there something wrong with normally braking? Mushy pedal going to the floor? Metallic screeching? How many miles on the car and when was the last time the brakes were inspected? Originally Posted by Anonymous01

It is a 5.o Mustang with only 25k miles. I do have the type of parking brake where you push the button & pull it up.

There is nothing wrong with my braking system I am just ready to let my son take the lead & I may or may not have to pull it.

Really depends on the type of e-brake your car has.
Most newer ones have electric e-brakes (push button) not cable controlled (mechanical pedal or lever) ones.
Electric ones fully engage so using it while driving might give you whiplash & will cause excessive wear on your pads & rotors but not necessarily damage anything, except for your neck.
With mechanical (lever/pedal) ones you can control the tension & if you did it by mistake I doubt you fully engaged them so I wouldn't worry about it. Originally Posted by MarcellusWalluz

I think I have the mechanical cable ones where you can control how hard you pull it.

Nah you are good it will just cause some extra wear on your rear brake pads and rotors. It wont cause any damage to the transmission, engine, or anything like that. There is a safety concern though if you pull the E brake hard you could lock the rear wheels and cause you to fishtail especially if road is wet. Originally Posted by laker01

Thank you!

I have been teaching my son to drive in this huge open parking lot in the back of a warehouse that is closed all Sunday.
It is a 5.o Mustang Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde

That is great, brings back memories. When I was 7 we lived a block from a high school that had a huge lot set up for drivers ed/safety. We would go on Sundays & she taught me how to drive in her Electra, I wish it would have been a Mustang!

I think I have the mechanical cable ones where you can control how hard you pull it. Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde

Yes, pulling it in case of an emergency won't damage your transmission but doing it excessively will cause premature wear on your rear brakes.

Don’t just pull the hand brake (emergency brake) once when at speed. Keep holding down the button and throttle it like you would the floor pedal. From our AI friend:

First, what the handbrake is doing

On older cars, the handbrake mechanically locks or drags the rear wheels via a cable.
There’s no ABS, no proportioning, no smoothing—your hand is the control system.
Because it’s binary-ish, finesse comes from pressure + timing, not strength.
Important: this is for understanding vehicle dynamics or controlled environments (track, snow, gravel). Not something to practice on public roads.

The “gentle pull & release” technique

1. Pre-load the handle
Before you even want rear slip:
Rest your hand on the brake
Take up the slack until you feel resistance
This removes delay so the brakes respond immediately when you pull.
2. Short, progressive pull — not a yank
Instead of ripping it:
Pull smoothly over ~½ second
Stop before full lock
Think drag, not lock
You’re aiming to reduce rear grip, not eliminate it.
A good mental model:
“Squeeze → feel → pause”
not
“pull → panic → chaos”
3. Hold briefly (fractions of a second)
Keep it engaged just long enough to:
Rotate the car slightly, or
Settle weight forward
This is usually 0.2–0.5 seconds, not longer
If you hold it too long at speed, the rear will step out fast.
4. Controlled release — just as important
This is where people mess up.
Ease the handle down, don’t let it snap
Releasing too fast can:
Re-grip the rear suddenly
Cause snap oversteer in the opposite direction
Think of release as:
“letting the tires wake back up gently”

I've been told that using a mechanical hand brake is also an excellent way to brake check tailgaters, as the brake lights don't come on when used.


If you have a manual transmission you will need it to hold stop on a hill. Useful skill to know how to drive one in a hilly environment. Left foot clutch, right foot gas, left hand on wheel, right hand on the hand brake.


Also a note to add, most mechanical hand brakes use a drum brake set up that is separate from your regular use disk brakes. They get very little wear and a lot of times those brake shoes last the lifetime of the car.


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