Using the parking brake is just good practice I think...unless you live in Alaska I guess.
For practical purposes, like others have said, using it on a hill is a good idea or the vehicle might get stuck in park.
If the parking brake is properly applied and working well, it is very hard NOT to notice that it's engaged when you take off. Typically, the only exception is high torque rear wheel drive vehicles, like full size pickups. The bright annoying red light on the dash is also usually a good indicator.
Some cars, like my Cadillac Seville STS, have systems where the parking brake automatically releases when the car is put into drive. Nice feature, though can be a pain to figure out how to release it if the automatic feature suddely stops working.
For practical purposes, like others have said, using it on a hill is a good idea or the vehicle might get stuck in park.
If the parking brake is properly applied and working well, it is very hard NOT to notice that it's engaged when you take off. Typically, the only exception is high torque rear wheel drive vehicles, like full size pickups. The bright annoying red light on the dash is also usually a good indicator.
Some cars, like my Cadillac Seville STS, have systems where the parking brake automatically releases when the car is put into drive. Nice feature, though can be a pain to figure out how to release it if the automatic feature suddely stops working.