If you own an automatic or hybrid car, you may be able to leave the handbrake off if the car is parked on a flat surface. However, if on the public road or a sloped driveway, we would not recommend doing this with a manual car as it will place the powertrain under a huge amount of stress if you leave it in gear. You will also face serious insurance and legal reputations if your vehicle rolls into another vehicle, causes an accident or injures someone.

If the brakes lock on, we'd recommend calling roadside assistance - which will fall under the car's warranty in many instances.