[jesprenj]

On my peugeot 5008, pressing the electronic parkong brake button for more than cca 500ms while driving fully engages all brakes of the car (not only rear ones), but ABS remains functional. So in an emergency, one could theoretically still use this as an emergency brake. Although I agree that it's quite dumb, because it of course wouldn't work in case of computer/electric failure. What a shame indeed.

[tremon]

That sounds quite useless to me. I've never been in an emergency where I could afford a 500ms delay before engaging the brakes, and also had ample opportunity and presence of mind to keep my finger uninterrupted on a dashboard button.

[giantg2]

It also wouldn't work if you lost hydraulics.

[cartoonworld]

Thats the same case with all brakes in use more or less. Also modern brakes have two hydraulic systems, in the case that one of the loops (front or rear) breaks there should be sufficient pressure to apply the brakes still.

Sometimes its front/rear and sometimes it is diagonal, but it should still do the emergency trick.

[giantg2]

Regular parking/emergency brakes use a cable instead of hydraulics.

[cartoonworld]

They also don't really stop a moving car, its a parking brake.

Just wanted to add, a EPB used for emergency stop in his scenario is just using the regular stopping brakes, its not an emergency brake either.

[giantg2]

"They also don't really stop a moving car, it's a parking brake."

This is false. Have you ever tried it? I can say from experience they will stop a moving car.

[cartoonworld]

I have, they're tiny shoes and it'll lock up your rear wheels at best.

I would suggest that anybody reading NOT try this unless you have a quite large and empty lot with no public access. Pay close attention, they are not called Emergency Brakes, they are called Parking Brakes.

The stated purpose of these brakes are to ensure your car wont roll away while parked. Anybody with a manual transmission knows the ritual of shifting into 1 or Reverse and turning their wheels toward the curb while parked even while the parking brake is engaged.

They won't serve you in an emergency. Here's Mitch Hedberg on "Emergency brake": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMKV1B0vuI8

[fy20]

It will if maintained properly. If you don't use it often it becomes loose and won't hold.

In my part of Europe it's the main issue for technical inspections, as most people drive automatic and we don't have hills, so we just put it in P when we park. The handbrake rarely gets used.

[Denatonium]

What cars is this the case in? All the cars I've ever driven have hydraulic-assisted brakes but can still be used without the assist in a pinch, if you really use your leg muscles. It seems REALLY dangerous to have no ability to manually actuate your brakes. If an ICE car like this with an electronic parking brake were to stall while going downhill, you'd be completely screwed.

[AngryData]

Hydraulic brakes also have a bit of redundency built in so you can still hopefully stop in the event of a mechanical failure like a line bursting.

[dzhiurgis]

At least computers are redundant and far likely less to fail.