Is electronic handbrake safer than mechanical handbrake?
Many car models today are equipped with electronic handbrakes instead of mechanical handbrakes. Many people wonder if electronic handbrakes are safer than mechanical handbrakes?
What is an electronic handbrake?
Electronic handbrake, also known as electronic parking brake, this type of brake is fully automatically controlled, usually has the letter P symbol located in a circle near the gear lever or on the car's dashboard.
The electronic brake system also has the same function as the traditional mechanical handbrake, ensuring safety for the user, helping to avoid forgetting to pull the brake when stopping/parking.
How does the electronic handbrake work?
When wanting to stop/park the car, the driver just needs to push the button, at this time the system will automatically brake (switch to Lock mode) instead of having to pull up the brake like a normal mechanical handbrake. The electronic brake also has the same function as the mechanical handbrake, the only difference is that one side is mechanical, while the other side is electrically controlled.
The operating principle of the electronic handbrake is to use an electric motor to assist in braking and releasing the brake through the lever marked with the letter P. When parking, the gear lever is shifted to the P position and the electronic handbrake will automatically switch to Lock mode when the engine is turned off. This helps avoid the risk of drivers forgetting to pull the handbrake.
When the driver forgets to release the handbrake but still presses the accelerator, the system will automatically unlock to avoid brake lock/brake burnout to protect the transmission system. If the driver wants to release the brake, he/she needs to simultaneously press the foot brake and push the electronic brake control button. Immediately, the handbrake warning light will turn off, indicating that the handbrake has been released.
When in other gears, if you want to use the handbrake, the driver needs to simultaneously step on the foot brake and pull the electronic brake control lever, then the system will help apply the brakes.
Advantages of electronic brakes
We can easily see that the electronic brake is much more convenient than the traditional mechanical handbrake. Just a few basic operations can activate 2 small motors to hold the rear brake. It will not release if the seat belt is not fastened or one of the doors on the car is not closed.
More interesting:Electronic parking brake optimizes the space inside the car, simplifies operations and makes the interior more luxurious. This is also the reason why electronic parking brake appears in many luxury cars.
Safer:In case of sudden braking, the driver can brake suddenly by activating the electronic parking brake. Once the electronic parking brake is activated, the car's computer program will apply hydraulic braking to all four wheels through the ESP (vehicle stability control system) controller with a force slightly less than full braking force until the vehicle speed is almost stopped. The braking force provided by a conventional mechanical parking brake is very stiff, which can easily cause the vehicle to lose control because it can only brake the rear wheels.
Convenient operation:Compared with the mechanical handbrake, the electronic handbrake is more convenient to use. The traditional mechanical handbrake needs to be lifted to lock the rear wheel. The electric brake is very easy to operate, just press and release the button, especially for women.
Hill Start Assist:The electronic brake also has an automatic deactivation feature when the vehicle is running, along with the ability to automatically hold the brake (Brake Hold) when stopping on a slope.
Space saving:The mechanical handbrake has a long lever that takes up a lot of space in the center console, while the electronic handbrake takes up almost no space and area.
Disadvantages of electronic brakes
The manufacturing and repair costs of electronic brakes are more expensive than mechanical brakes.
The life of this type of brake is also lower.
When the battery is dead, the electronic brake will not work. In addition, the driver will also experience a slight vibration when braking.
Things to note when using electronic brakes
According to driving experience of experts, drivers need to perform the following methods to prolong the life and use electronic brakes effectively:
Do not move while the warning light is on. Although the electronic brake system will automatically unlock, repeated use may affect the life of internal components.
Drivers do not need to worry too much if they hear strange noises or vibrations in the pedal. These are normal manifestations of electronic brakes. The risk of electronic brake failure is less than that of traditional handbrakes.
Many luxury cars also have an Auto Hold function, which automatically applies the brakes when stopped and deactivates them when the car owner is driving.