I don't think the hand brakenmakes the brake light come one. If I go outside and start my car, then apply the hand brake and leave it parked, the brake light doesn't come on. What happens is that when I drive off, I get a "stupid-driver" light and something starts smelling bad. I used to use the hand brake to slow down and surprise tailgaters. This isn't good if you don't want to risk being hit.

Oh, I almost forgot: it's not as much fun as WD-40, but requires less tech. Windshield washers. It helps if the squirters over-shoot a little. If it's rained recently, drive through all the puddles you can.