It also keeps the parking brake working and tests it on a regular basis.
I’ve never done it, but it sounds like a good option.
Having your brake lights on when you’re stopped might make the difference between getting rear-ended by an inattentive driver and not getting rear-ended.
Brakes only wear when they're actually stopping the car. When the car is already stopped, brakes just hold it there and don't wear.
My 4runner has rear disk brakes. But there are shoe brakes inside the rotors for the parking brake. The rotor is a rotor and drum all in one.
I use the parking brake all the time…but because the pads are never subjected a condition that causes them to wear…they now have over 220k miles on them and they are still like new.
chunkyazian, If the foot brake begins to fail while stopped, then you can set the Park brake, but I doubt that ever happens. Also if this happens, you have a problem somewhere in the brake system.
The lack of brake lights is the only response I am on board with 100% at this time. Assume you get rear ended at a red light, If you are in park you will probably go less distance into the intersection, as in my experience I am not pushing the brake hard enough to equal being in park to prevent wheels from turning. Of course that also means a more severe impact, but you do not want to be flying into an intersection against a red light either. I have never had a parking prawl or shift interlock wear out, so I dismiss that notion. Is it harder on a trans to stay in drive vs out of drive then back into drive? I do not know, but consider it probably immeasurable in the life of a trans. I say if it makes you feel good ok by me, except for the lack of brake lights and the flash of backup lights that might scare someone behind you. If it makes your passenger crazy, pick and choose your battles.
Mike, my parking brake shoes have a little wear on them. I tried low-speed stopping once with just them just to see what they’d do. And then there was that time I started to drive away with them on…
Here’s something else that occurs if you put it in park at stop lights.
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you see the light change, you didn’t realize it was time so you press on the gas…it’s in park so zoooom go the rpms and you remember then to take it out of park and BAM the rpms are not yet down to idle so the trans shifts harshly as you leap forward. This is possible transmission damage.
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you wait untill the light changes green to shift out of park…that causes a delay that you won’t see unless you’re sitting on the bus stop bench watching your silliness from the sidelines…the delay progresses backward in the line of traffic and 1, maybe 2 cars DO NOT get through this green because of you.
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You’re on a slight incline when you put it in park. Because it’s just a stop light you don’t set the park brake. Now the parking pawl is wedged tightly to the parking gear and when the light turns green , you YANK/snap it out of park…THAT too is possible transmission damage. ( unless you keep your foot on the brake so as not to roll…in which case you need not even put it in park. )
If I had to ride with anyone who had a habit like this then it would be the last time I would ever ride with them.
Marriages have ended over less than this… 
The last time I was rear ended, all three of my brake lights lit up. If people don’t notice your car is getting bigger and bigger, you are getting hit even when cruising on the freeway.
And you don’t need your foot brake to fail to start rolling unintentionally: wet shoe slipping off of the pedal, rear ending, animal bites from your passengers dog,etc. This is why I don’t rely on my right foot. But I’m also against using the park pawl and prefer the parking brake.
Well I have been driving for 64 years and have never had the problems you describe, but it’s your car drive it as you like.
Chunkyazian, You Left Out The Possibility Of One Being Struck By A Meteorite As A Reason To Park One’s Car At An Intersection.
CSA
I really see no big deal about this too. Didn’t we put the manual in neutral at a stop as well ?
I never do it because in general isn’t recomended and I’m always fearful of being bumped from the back and breaking something in the transmission. But, if OP wants to do it, fine, it’s his car, his repair bill. Just don’t fall asleep in front of someone with road age while in Park.
Yeah, it’s his car he can drive it like he wants to, even tho it is stupid. I am not sure you could even call it a"park gear".