Do you drive as prescribed by the DSA and secure your car on the handbrake when stationary at junctions. If you are the first or second car you should be on the handbrake, but in gear ready to react, but why doesn't everyone else take the opportunity to rest their legs for a few moments, make the world a safer place and knock it out of gear whilst safely locked on the handbrake ? Almost every car I see, and I do look as I am a driving instructor, is sat there with one foot on the brake, the other on the clutch and in gear. Not only are you blinding the guy behind with your brake lights, but if struck from behind you will [probably] loose control of the pedals whilst in gear and be propelled possibly into crossing traffic like a pinball. You are also potentially causing damage to your braking system.

Come on then, roughly 3 out of 4 I see do this, is it you ?

Do you drive as prescribed by the DSA and secure your car on the handbrake when stationary at junctions. If you are the first or second car you should be on the handbrake, but in gear ready to react, but why doesn't everyone else take the opportunity to rest their legs for a few moments, make the world a safer place and knock it out of gear whilst safely locked on the handbrake ? Almost every car I see, and I do look as I am a driving instructor, is sat there with one foot on the brake, the other on the clutch and in gear. Not only are you blinding the guy behind with your brake lights, but if struck from behind you will [probably] loose control of the pedals whilst in gear and be propelled possibly into crossing traffic like a pinball. You are also potentially causing damage to your braking system.

Come on then, roughly 3 out of 4 I see do this, is it you ?

I do. I hate leaving the brake lights on!!!!

Nope - I detest people (at night etc) who 'sit' on their brakes and blind me - am so tempted to go on full beam (used to do ocassionally at one time).

Not me Thats one of my pet hates

Depends how long I am going to be stuck in the traffic for, I end up getting foot ache etc.

Nope, I leave it hangin on the clutch.

There's no need to be on the brakes AND clutch - if it's downhill I'll hold it on the handbrake, if it's uphill I'll happily slip the clutch for minutes on end - 54K and still going strong....

If I am last in a queue of cars at an intersection / traffic holdup I will sit in the appropriate lane with my foot on the brake and my hazards flashing, with the car in neutral. I try to leave at least 2 to 3 car-lengths between me and the car in front.

Once another vehicle joins the queue behind me, I indicate appropriately lift off the foot-brake and apply the handbrake.

I've been rear-ended a number of times by blind idiots and regard my technique as sensible, defensive driving (or waiting). If my brake lights momentarily blind whoever is behind me, then they are too close.

It's fecking annoying in a queue having brake lights on.

Almost as annoying as leaving your rear fogs and brakes on in a queue in fog!

I will sit in the appropriate lane with my foot on the brake and my hazards flashing, with the car in neutral. I try to leave at least 2 to 3 car-lengths between me and the car in front.

This is not defensive driving, it is idiotic. Approaching drivers could confuse you for a stranded vehicle and attempt to pass you, placing themselves in the path of oncoming traffic. The safe distance I appreciate, but there is no need for the misuse of the hazard warning lights. As a DSA Approved instructor I teach learners the 'tires'n'tarmac' rule, whereby they must be able to see where the car aheads tires meet the road surface, no closer, but a little (reasonable) amount further off is not an issue. They must use the handbrake if it is obviously a definite stop and be out of gear if 3 or more cars back.

Kaiser and Pitt, holding it on the clutch or footbrake leaves you exposed to much more potential injury and damage if struck from behind, regardless of whether your clutch can take the pain, you might not be able to if the worst happens, and it does, very often.

This is not defensive driving, it is idiotic...

In your opinion. It certainly defends me.

In your QUALIFIED opinion.

If I were a traffic cop, I would definitely be having words with you if I saw you using the hazards in such a way.

Kaiser and Pitt, holding it on the clutch or footbrake leaves you exposed to much more potential injury and damage if struck from behind, regardless of whether your clutch can take the pain, you might not be able to if the worst happens, and it does, very often.

If I'm last in a queue, I always monitor my mirrors very carefully and have time to prepare for an idiot not stopping in time. Either way If I get rear ended it's never going to be my fault and I'll probably, ahem sorry, I meant definitely be injured anyway. (claim form, holiday brochure.). Applying your handbrake doesn't prevent you from getting injured in a rear end collision.

If I were a traffic cop, I would definitely be having words with you if I saw you using the hazards in such a way.

I have to agree, Hazards on, come on? To me you are a hazard

If I were a traffic cop, I would definitely be having words with you if I saw you using the hazards in such a way.

But you're not, so you won't be and please don't misquote me.

I'll stop misquoting you if you stop driving like an idiot ! Deal ?

I'll stop misquoting you if you stop driving like an idiot ! Deal ?

No, because that is still just your opinion of a technique that I believe helps keep me safe on the roads. (No-one has run into me from behind since I started to use it 8 years ago)

No, because that is still just your opinion of a technique that I believe helps keep me safe on the roads. (No-one has run into me from behind since I started to use it 8 years ago)

I doubt no one will run into you if you stay statinary with the handbrake on. If they do, not your fault. Claim? I know I wouldnt be complaining

The fact that it is against the law, in contravention of the Highway Code and dangerous means nothing to you then ? In 20 years of driving I have never been rear-ended but do not implement your techniques, therefore my method is statistically safer than yours. Luck may well have a large factor in both of our results, but maybe your good fortune in the last eight years stems from approaching cars thinking 'What's that idiot doing with his hazards on, maybe I should pass him, WTF, now he's turned them off, what an idiot !'

I have to say that if i saw a car with a good distance in front of them with the hazard lights on id try and pass you when the lights changed.

I have never seen anyone else do this in traffic so i would presume that you had broken down.

As for the using the handbrake. Yes most of the time i will but if im in traffic i like to keep the car rolling to save all the stop start crap

I tend to knock it out of gear & have the handbrake on while keeping an eye on the lights/traffic in front for any signs of movement. By the time we're ready for off, I'm usually back on the brake & clutch in gear etc.

As for the hazard light issue, I've never seen it done and would assume it was a driver in distress. In which case, I'd either stop behind & get out to offer assistance or pass them, depending on the circumstances at the time... Fair enough if it's on a n m/way in a jam or in foul conditions but not as a standard 'procedure'. I think the consensus is you'll only confuse following cars.

I googled 'hazard lights highway code' and found this:

Hazard warning lights. These may be used when your vehicle is stationary, to warn that it is temporarily obstructing traffic. Never use them as an excuse for dangerous or illegal parking. You MUST NOT use hazard warning lights while driving or being towed unless you are on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead. Only use them for long enough to ensure that your warning has been observed.

Waiting at a junction isn't really obstructing traffic...

Usually in neutral with the handbrake on, however we have a right turn into work with a lane for it, it is on a fairly busy road just after a bend, whilst waiting to turn I will pulse the brake lights as an extra warning. Over the years I have been witness to a fair few accidents on that corner - one time 3 of my colleagues were in a new Fiesta that got hit at 40 by a Volvo (the driver was fiddling with the radio) and it got pushed in front of an oncoming car. One Saturday afternoon a police car at around 50mph lost control with one fatality and another serious injury on that corner, and I have got a video from the CCTV of a Rover quite literally flying around that corner.

yep i would sail by a driver with a gap in front of him with the hazards on,i allways put the handbrake on,i can have the whole newspaper read by the time i get home using this technique;)

if there's a long time to wait, I'll do it, but only for a few moments then I'll hold the car on the foot brake

As a DSA Approved instructor I teach learners the 'tires'n'tarmac' rule, whereby they must be able to see where the car aheads tires meet the road surface, no closer, but a little (reasonable) amount further off is not an issue. They must use the handbrake if it is obviously a definite stop and be out of gear if 3 or more cars back.

Yes was taught this rule when was learning to drive, if im stopped on a hill, then would allow some extra space with the vehicle in front. If I have a learner driver in front I always give them a bit extra space.