‘Are emergency brakes only for emergencies?’

DEAR TOM AND RAY:

I’m looking to resolve a brake discussion between me and my dad. Do you think you two can help? My car is a 1996 Honda Accord, four-cylinder, five-speed. I understand that the emergency brake is designed for emergency situations, such as when the usual braking power is not enough to stop the vehicle or the braking has failed completely ... hence the name “emergency brake.” However, is the emergency brake able to be used slowly to help stop the vehicle daily?

— Todd RAY: We’re guessing that you’re the “brake puller” in this family, Todd. You’re probably doing this because you think it’s an easy way to prolong the life of your regular brakes. But you may be surprised to know that the hand brake is actually designed for parking, not stopping. Hence its real name, the “parking brake.” TOM: It used to be called the “emergency brake,” but after car companies got sued because it didn’t stop the car in an emergency, car company lawyers forced them to change the name to the more accurate “parking brake.” RAY: It’s really not designed to stop a moving car; it’s designed to keep the car stopped once it’s parked, so that it doesn’t roll away if the transmission or clutch fails. TOM: There are two primary types of parking brakes. One type uses the same pads that your brake pedal actuates, although the parking brake uses only the brakes on the two rear wheels. RAY: So, in that situation, you’re not saving your brakes at all — you’re just applying them differently. In fact, if you have a pull-up parking brake like your Accord has, you’ll stretch and, eventually, break the parking brake cables. TOM: The other type of parking brake employs its own, separately housed drum brakes. Using those brakes will provide some additional braking. However, these parking brakes are not very robust, can be hard to access and can be very expensive to replace.