Driving & Driving Test Tips: Emergency Brakes in Automobiles.

Question
Dear Mark

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/emergency-brakes.htm

1. Is Emergency Brakes Feature available in all automobiles ?. viz a. two wheeler scooters, motorcycles, bikes etc b. three wheeler viz autorickshaw, tempo c.four wheelers viz Cars, Jeeps, Trucks, Buses, Lorries etc ?.

2. In a rare case technically, the Emergency Brakes can also fail or not work in a automobile for the driver ?.

3. What are the real life situations where emergency brakes can be applied by automobile driver ?.

Thanks & Regards,
Prashant S Akerkar

Answer
1. All modern cars and trucks have parking brakes that are referred to as emergency brakes. Two wheeled vehicles do not.
2. Yes they can also fail but usually this is a rare occurrence.
3. The parking brakes can always be applied by the driver by engaging the handle or depressing the foot pedal for these brakes.  The problem is that they will only engage the rear brakes and tend to make the vehicle unstable. But if the regular brakes go out the "emergency brakes" can be used because they are activated by a cable.