Isn't the handbrake subject to a test as part of a standard MOT? Maybe you should ask an MOT station to test that one component ahead of schedule.
A friend of mine is an MOT'er so I'll ask him when I see him later, might get him to test mine when I next annoy him at work.
I might be wrong, but three clicks is what should be sufficient to hold the car - I'm certain an old student car of mine failed an MOT because I nearly had to get in the back seat to put the handbrake on.
My car needs five clicks, as I got back in mine after been at a customers site for an hour, I was pulling phones and keys out of my pockets when luckily I had an odd sensation of movement - the car was rolling backwards towards a lamp post, it hadn't moved more than a meter before I yanked the handbrake up a few more clicks.
I've noticed I don't pull it hard enough - no idea why, maybe I'm not used to the handbrake being so close to me (Peugeot don't alter the position of their handbrakes between left and right drive cars, so UK Peugeots have the handbrake on the wrong side). Maybe even the design doesn't allow you to put enough force on???
If it had hit the post, I would have gone doh - called myself a silly prat and got on with life - whilst grinding my teeth about the damage on my boot.
If you're worried, get it checked by an MOT station.
And for the record, a few female friends moan at me after I've driven their cars as they have trouble taking their handbrakes off.
