Ford Mystique Owner's Manual page 126

Parking Brake
The parking brake should be used whenever you park your
vehicle.
The parking brake lever is located between the front seats. To
set the parking brake, put your foot on the brake pedal while
pulling the parking brake handle fully and firmly upward.
To release the parking brake, put your foot on the brake pedal,
pull the handle upward and push the button. Then lower the
handle to the released position while holding the button in.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure that
the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park) (automatic
transaxle) or in 1 (First) (manual transaxle).
To prevent personal injury, do not release the parking
brake while outside the vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released, but the Brake
System light remains on, have the brakes checked
immediately. They may not be working properly.
The parking brake is not designed to stop a moving vehicle, but
you can use the parking brake to stop your vehicle in an
emergency if the normal brakes fail. However, since the parking
brake applies only the rear brakes, the stopping distance will
increase greatly and the handling of your vehicle will be
adversely affected.
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