Back in the dawn of time, or the automobile age at least, it was an
emergency brake. Another way of operating a brake when the primary cable
broke. My folks actually had a car with cable brakes when I was a kid.

If you're looking for logic in naming stuff better try a language other than
English or any of its variants.

Mike

On 10/29/07 3:12 AM, "Andrew Grebneff"
<andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ> wrote:

> Why do folk in the US call it an "emergency" brake" It's for parking
> ie a parking brake, or if hand-operated (as is normal) a handbrake.