Someone found the blog on that search term. I’ve written about the handbrake before.
The answer is quite simple, really. They’re just bad drivers.
You often see people riding the clutch at traffic lights, and the car is rolling back and forth because they can’t do it properly.
You often pull up behind someone who insists on blinding you (especially at night) with their brake lights, as they sit there holding it with the foot brake.
The number who sit there with no brakes at all on level roads must be similarly high.
The things is, all of these are dangerous in one way or another. If you can’t ride the clutch properly you risk rolling back or surging forward into someone; if you hold with the footbrake, your foot might slip, especially if someone goes into the back of you; and sitting with no brakes at all is obviously dangerous for various reasons.
You’d be surprised how many people don’t use the handbrake properly, even after they have just passed their tests. It seems to be one of the first individual driving styles that develops once they are free of their instructor (along with mirror checks and driving too fast). It can be hard to get people to do it even on lessons.
A pupil yesterday afternoon was repeatedly not doing it (he works at a go-kart track and drives the karts a lot, which obviously don’t have handbrakes). Some pupils have difficulty in disengaging or engaging it properly, so they fall into a subconscious routine of trying to avoid using it at all (similar to stopping at junctions when they have trouble with the clutch/bite – they try to avoid stopping!) I also suspect that there is some complex “I’m not a learner any more” reasoning going on in the background.
Sometimes, pupils get the idea that not using the handbrake means they can move away quicker. It’s actually quicker if they use the handbrake in most cases – they can get the gas/bite ready and release the handbrake when they’re set, instead of mis-timing the pedals and stalling.
Why use the handbrake at junctions?
Primarily, to prevent you from rolling backwards or forwards. However, sitting with the footbrake on means the brake lights are on, and at night that just dazzles people behind you. It is inconsiderate.
If you’re going to be waiting for any length of time, just use the handbrake. That’s what it’s there for. Not using it is as lazy as it is wrong.