El freno de mano o freno de estacionamiento es un sistema que inmoviliza el vehículo cuando está parado, ya sea manual o . También esta disponible para parar el vehículo en caso de fallo del freno de servicio (función de emergencia). En la inmensa mayoría de los vehículos ligeros se acciona con la mano y mediante un cable acciona las ruedas traseras. Sin embargo, en vehículos pesados o por tradición se acciona mediante el pie. Es el caso del Chrysler Voyager y algunos Mercedes-Benz. En los vehículos que compiten en las carreras de drifting o rally el freno de mano es hidráulico y no tiene un mecanismo para mantenerlo bloqueado. Este permite bloquear las ruedas con menos esfuerzo para hacer derrapar el coche en curvas cerradas. Antiguamente algunos Citroën bloqueaban las ruedas delanteras.

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In cars, the parking brake, also called hand brake, emergency brake, or e-brake, is a latching brake usually used to keep the vehicle stationary. It is sometimes also used to prevent a vehicle from rolling when the operator needs both feet to operate the clutch and throttle pedals. Automobile hand brakes usually consist of a cable directly connected to the brake mechanism on one end and to a lever or foot pedal at the driver's position. The mechanism is often a hand-operated lever (hence the hand brake name), on the floor on either side of the driver, or a pull handle located below and near the steering wheel column, or a (foot-operated) pedal located far apart from the other pedals. Although sometimes known as an emergency brake, using it in any emergency where the footbrake is still operational is likely to badly upset the brake balance of the car and vastly increase the likelihood of loss of control of the vehicle, for example by initiating a rear-wheel skid. Additionally, the stopping force provided by using the handbrake is small and would not significantly aid in stopping the vehicle. The parking brake operates generally only on the rear wheels, which have reduced traction while braking but in some cases, parking brake operates on the front wheels, as done in most Citroens manufactured since the end of World War II. The hand brake is instead intended for use in case of mechanical failure where the regular footbrake is inoperable or compromised. Modern brake systems are typically very reliable and equipped with dual-circuit hydraulics and low-brake-fluid sensor systems, meaning the handbrake is rarely used to stop a moving vehicle. The most common use for a parking brake is to keep the vehicle motionless when it is parked. Parking brakes have a ratchet locking mechanism that will keep them engaged until a release button is pressed. On vehicles with automatic transmissions, this is usually used in concert with a parking pawl in the transmission. Hand brakes are also used to assist in hill starts on vehicles with manual transmissions. Use of the handbrake frees both feet for use on the accelerator and clutch pedals, allowing the car to move off without rolling back at all. Handbrakes are never used to slow the vehicle when it is in motion, as doing so generally locks only the back wheels and sends the car into a handbrake turn. Handbrake turns are often used in street racing to initiate drifting, but such a maneuver is often seen as an error among regular road users, and is dangerous in many situations.

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