Electronic parking brakes suitable for tests

• Vehicles with electronic parking brakes can be used for tests
• Change from 1 November 2010
• DSA responds to advances in vehicle technology

From 1 November vehicles fitted with an electronic parking brake will be allowed to be used for practical driving tests.

There are usually two ways of releasing an electronic parking brake:

• using the footbrake while releasing the parking brake, then coordinating the accelerator and clutch to move away
• coordinating the accelerator and clutch - when the electronics sense the clutch is at biting point the parking brake releases automatically

The parking brake will not usually release automatically if:

• the accelerator is not used
• the controls are not coordinated correctly

If there is no loss of control either method is acceptable.

If the examiner needs to take action to stop the vehicle, and it’s not fitted with dual controls, they will apply and hold the electronic parking brake - this will bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.

Advances in technology

To begin with, electronic parking brakes were fitted only to top of the range vehicles. DSA decided not to allow manual vehicles fitted with them to be used for driving tests.

Electronic parking brakes are now being fitted to an increasing number of vehicles, so it’s unrealistic to continue this policy.