When I was a mere lad sixteen years of age ...
... the 63 IMPALA CONV (w/ top down) I was driving (with cousin and his girlfriend in the front seat with me) lost the brakes and then went over a steep embankment (forty-five degree - approx 150ft).
There was a roadway at the bottom, and mid-way down the grade made the decision I did not want to hit and enter at speed. I decided to cut it right preventing doing that and it came to rest in that position. How it did not turn over and roll I will never know.
An emergency (hand/parking brake) is not designed nor meant to brake a car. Nasty and unexpected things can happen very quickly.
The best thing(s) happening (IMO) were -
1956 FORD - LIFEGUARD SAFETY DESIGN
-
https://www.1956-ford.com/1956-ford-...-brochure.html
The FED mandating the SPLIT DUELING RESERVOIR MC BRAKING SYSTEMS (w/ PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL VALVE and WARNING LAMP)
ABS
__________________
*****
"Last Sunday, I caught him makin' eyes at Idell Bushey durin' preachin'. And I know what they do up there in the hills when they say they're possum huntin'. They're just sittin' around the campfire, drinkin' hard cider, hittin' each other on the shoulder and hollerin' 'flinch!'."
― Charlene Darling (Daughter of Briscoe Darling)