Kia Niro UK Forums

The foot operated parking brake doesn't bother me at all. I use it once at the start of the drive to deactivate, and once at the end. No big deal.
I far prefer it to a regular handbrake.

It horrifies me to think of a passenger trying to slow a car down with a regular handbrake since it operates on the back wheels and would most likely pitch the car into an uncontrollable spin.

Hi Suman. You have a point about what happens if the rear wheels lock. I also consider that if the driver has a medical emergency or the car rolls away after the driver has got out for some reason I would like to act from passenger seat. All I can do in this car is try to ram the gear lever in park ! What might this do?
h2onorth

I think that ramming the gear lever in park will lock the front wheels and damage the transmission. The car would go straight on, rather than spin. In the event of a driver becoming incapacitated whilst the vehicle is at speed, you're better off knocking the transmission into sport, then manually shifting down the gears to 1 to try and use some engine braking to slow the vehicle.

I'm quite sure it will only go in park , once the car is stopped , just like you can't put in reverse until you stop .. It will go in to neutral , i tired it .. In sport mode , don't know ...

I expect the driver to be fit and competent to drive.

For those people who seriously consider a medical emergency whilst driving or a driver getting out without putting the car in park to be a real possibility, may I suggest the easiest solution is having the car modified with dual controls to allow the passenger to operate the main brake? This has its own risks of course - of the passenger accidentally operating the brake if they are not competent, as well as the potential insurance implications of modifying the vehicle.

Hi all. Yes you all have valid and well considered views. One final point, how do you know you are all fit and competent to drive? How many cases recently of football and rugby athletes have suffered life threatening or fatal incidents in training or on the field. Most recent case was Cheick Tiote aged 30. All these guys are checked out frequently, when did you last get checked with the thoroughness they get!
Cheers h2onorth

I got used to the foot parking brake and always use it when leaving the car. I use park when stopped at traffic lights etc

What's the problem
Mercs have had them yrs
Takes about 10 mins to get use to
The car is a auto and has a hold function
Does it put me off no pick mine up Friday

I only use when my car is left parked up and put into n when In a queue of traffic this is my first automatic car and also my first hybrid and love it when I had other cars I very rarely used hand break so no difference really just took abit of getting used to at first only had car for a couple of months and got used to it after a few days

@Bigtone....the foot parking brake in a Merc and BMW is a sophisticated automatic system, not a noisy ratchet tractor pedal as per the Niro. I have no issue with it being floor-mounted, but why have such a crude system?