Why You Can Press the Handbrake Without Pressing a Button
It turns out that in spite of the noise, you can jerk the handbrake sharply without pressing the button. That’s why.
At some point, you were probably one of these two people: the person who loudly raises the handbrake without pressing the button (to the horror of your passenger), or the frightened passenger wondering why you hate your car so much. In this video from Engineering Explained YouTube, Jason Fenske explains how your handbrake works and why the button is really only for releasing the brake.
Basically, it’s a simple ratchet system. When you press down on the handbrake, the latch travels over several prongs (the noise you hear) until you stop and it can’t go down without pressing a button. It is designed to work this way, Fenske explains, and works exactly like a socket wrench, only on a larger and much louder scale. So, if you are not worried about the noise, pull the handbrake without pressing the button as long as you want. Just never try to disengage the handbrake without pressing the button.
Always press the handbrake button? The myth is destroyed | Youtube