'Knocking the handbrake off..'
Discussion
Apparently it can be done 'accidentally'...
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Girl-Dive...
Now forgive me, but every single car I've owned has required me to press the button and lift the handbrake before it would release. Given that the girl in the picture is holding the bumper to a '57 plate car, I would imagine this can't be done easily either.
She was obviously playing about with it and caused a major scene; tents destroyed (luckily empty!) and a massive S'n'R mission from the RNLI and Coastguard.
I can see the outcome of this being very different if it had been anyone other than a young girl. Am I too cynical?
ETA: It's a Citroen evidently; do they have conventional handbrakes or are they now button-operated?
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Girl-Dive...
Now forgive me, but every single car I've owned has required me to press the button and lift the handbrake before it would release. Given that the girl in the picture is holding the bumper to a '57 plate car, I would imagine this can't be done easily either.
She was obviously playing about with it and caused a major scene; tents destroyed (luckily empty!) and a massive S'n'R mission from the RNLI and Coastguard.
I can see the outcome of this being very different if it had been anyone other than a young girl. Am I too cynical?
ETA: It's a Citroen evidently; do they have conventional handbrakes or are they now button-operated?
Edited by Funk on Monday 17th August 00:43
Funk said:
Apparently it can be done 'accidentally'...
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Girl-Dive...
Now forgive me, but every single car I've owned has required me to press the button and lift the handbrake before it would release. Given that the girl in the picture is holding the bumper to a '57 plate car, I would imagine this can't be done easily either.
She was obviously playing about with it and caused a major scene; tents destroyed (luckily empty!) and a massive S'n'R mission from the RNLI and Coastguard.
I can see the outcome of this being very different if it had been anyone other than a young girl. Am I too cynical?
ETA: It's a Citroen evidently; do they have conventional handbrakes or are they now button-operated?
<cough>Insurance job</cough> and the money from selling her story to the press will come in handy, too.http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Girl-Dive...
Now forgive me, but every single car I've owned has required me to press the button and lift the handbrake before it would release. Given that the girl in the picture is holding the bumper to a '57 plate car, I would imagine this can't be done easily either.
She was obviously playing about with it and caused a major scene; tents destroyed (luckily empty!) and a massive S'n'R mission from the RNLI and Coastguard.
I can see the outcome of this being very different if it had been anyone other than a young girl. Am I too cynical?
ETA: It's a Citroen evidently; do they have conventional handbrakes or are they now button-operated?
Edited by Funk on Monday 17th August 00:43
In fact, her entire story is fishier than the fishes who got a surprise.
That reg is for a Citreon C4 Grand Picasso, a vehicle that doesn't have a handbrake:
review said:
At the heart of the mission to maximise interior space is Citroen’s electronic gearbox, which consists of a steering column-mounted gearchange lever and a handbrake button on the dashboard, freeing the area between the seats.
Now, fair enough, it's French, so I could fully believe that the electronic hanbrake failed, but why the story about pulling on the lever when it hasn't got one. Edited by dxg on Monday 17th August 01:04
Well it wasn't her car as she's only 11..
This raises the question; can the electronic parking brake be released without the keys in the ignition? WERE the keys in the ignition, in order to have the stereo on? Mine works without the key for an hour.
More fool the grandparents who left an 11 year old girl in a car, with the keys in the ignition. She was obviously fiddling with buttons and pressed the electronic parking brake one, disengaging it. Presumably it's not just a case of pressing the button again to re-engage it? Seems like a hell of a design flaw to my mind.
This raises the question; can the electronic parking brake be released without the keys in the ignition? WERE the keys in the ignition, in order to have the stereo on? Mine works without the key for an hour.
More fool the grandparents who left an 11 year old girl in a car, with the keys in the ignition. She was obviously fiddling with buttons and pressed the electronic parking brake one, disengaging it. Presumably it's not just a case of pressing the button again to re-engage it? Seems like a hell of a design flaw to my mind.
Amanda on the Sky News link said:
When I was 14 my mum broke down halfway up a hill. She got out and opened the bonnet to inspect the engine.She instructed me to put the car into gear, but I unlocked the handbrake instead. The car rolled down a steep hill, through a brick wall and hedge, to land in mum's friends's garden. So, yes, it is possible to 'accidentally' knock off the handbrake.
Posted By :Amanda
So its mainly a problem suffered by girls?Posted By :Amanda
To be fair I was often left in a car aged 10+ and would think nothing of fiddling with buttons as I saw fit.
Memorable moment was putting my mum's Merc into 'N' from Park and discovering that there was about a metre of movement before the handbrake caught the slack. I don't think she noticed when she returned to the car.
Memorable moment was putting my mum's Merc into 'N' from Park and discovering that there was about a metre of movement before the handbrake caught the slack. I don't think she noticed when she returned to the car.
Not Just French cars. A Mondeo Estate Pool car "disappeared" from the Car Park where I worked once. We reported it to the Police who rang back to say that the car had rolled into a wall and been recovered to a bodyshop for repair. Mondeo handbrakes had a bit of a reputation I gather.
Oakey said:
she's now saying she dropped her mobile phone in the footwell or something and went to pick it up and accidentally pressed the handbrake button.
....whilst simultaneously turning the key in the ignition, selecting neutral on the gearbox and putting her other hand on the foot brake.ahh yes the same excuse used by the (now heavily pregnant) chavette in the communal car par across the other side of our cul-de-sac. Whilst 'cleaning' her uninsured untaxed (she can't drive either) 5 series bimmer she accidentally knocked the handbrake off , causing it to accelerate across a perfectly flat car park through the front wall of a 3 bedroom house, poor family within having to move out for nearly 5 months...
OH has exactly the same car ... stupid wench (OH not the kid)
And the Handbrake is right in the centre console up where the multi function display thingy is, it is literally a two inch button which doesnt look important or dangerous to a kid
it is the centre button in this piccy
Dead easy to be knocked off and the car hates to be in gear when it is turned off too ... so it is a recipie for a disaster
Only need to apply the foot pedal to get the car turned on also
will try it tonight on the drive hehe
And the Handbrake is right in the centre console up where the multi function display thingy is, it is literally a two inch button which doesnt look important or dangerous to a kid
it is the centre button in this piccy
Dead easy to be knocked off and the car hates to be in gear when it is turned off too ... so it is a recipie for a disaster
Only need to apply the foot pedal to get the car turned on also
will try it tonight on the drive hehe
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff