Nothing can be scarier as a driver then when you hit the brake pedal and nothing happens. What do you do when dealing with brake failure? In general, there are some important guidelines you should follow. That way, you can get yourself safe and prevent a potential accident…
Brake Failure: Managing Danger
Stay calm and slow down
It can be very easy to panic when dealing with brake failure. However, panicking will only make things worse. Instead, you’ll want to do your best to remain calm and focused. Your priority should be getting off the road and slowing down as best you can.
Don’t press the accelerator, and instead allow for your car to begin slowing down naturally. You should put your hazards on as well to let other cars know something is wrong. Use your horn if you must to tell other cars to move or watch out. Avoid slamming on the emergency brake; doing so while on the road could cause serious damage to your car and lead to an accident.
Get to the shoulder
When dealing with brake failure, you’ll want to work your way to the shoulder of the road, much like any time you experience car troubles. This will give you room to safely slow down. You’ll also want to shift into a lower gear as well to help with that slowing down process.
If you have anti-lock brakes, try to press the brakes firmly while still steering. This can help trigger the anti-lock system and get you to stop. If you have standard brakes, you’ll want to try pumping them with short taps. It’s important to use the right technique for the brakes you have.
Stop and call for help
Once those initial tricky stages of brake failure are out of the way, then you can begin to fully stop. Shift your car into neutral and apply the emergency brake once you have bled off enough speed. Remember to not turn your car off until you’re fully stopped! Doing so beforehand will only disable your power steering and make it nearly impossible to maneuver.
After you’ve finally stopped, it’s time to call for help. After all, you won’t want to be driving in your car after what just happened. Call up roadside assistance like AAA if you have it, or a local towing company, and have your car brought to a mechanic. There, you can figure out what might’ve went wrong, fix it, and how to prevent it in the future.