Brakes are an essential part of all vehicles. In fact, its reliability and function is essential in order to keep you safe on the road. Unfortunately, even the most reliable things can fail to function at the most inopportune times. And nothing can be worse than a brake malfunctioning when you’re driving. What do you do in an emergency like this when the results can become catastrophic? You can actually stop your car without using brakes by using certain techniques. Here’s how to do it.
First of all, what you need in this situation is presence of mind. You shouldn’t panic or do anything drastic if you discover that your brakes are not working. Try to control your nervousness. Yes, the situation you’re in is relatively serious but the only way to get out of it is by being calm and collected.
Bring your car to first gear. This is the easiest to do if your car uses a manual transmission system because you have more control over shifting the car into different gears. If you drive an automatic transmission car, you can still decelerate to a certain point because the brakes may still have some function left.
Make the necessary signals to let the other motorists know that you’re having trouble. Turn on your hazard lights and press your horn continuously to give the motorists in front of you the necessary warning. It’s important that you let the other motorists know of your situation so they can change lanes and give you enough space to stop your car.
You should continue pumping on the brakes even if you don’t think it’s working. Pumping your brakes continuously will help in controlling your car’s speed until you reach a full stop or you’ve maneuvered your car to prevent a collision. Have the presence of mind to continually pump the brakes even if you are driving at full speed. Every little bit helps, and coupled with your calmness during this situation you can prevent an accident from happening.
You can decided to lift the emergency brake/ hand brake if you want to but this should be done with a lot of care. The reason for this is simple, using the hand brake can cause your car to spin. In the worst cases, it can cause your car to turn over. The wheels can also lock and this could mean you’ll have more difficulty keeping your car in control.
You should be mindful of your steering wheel as you try to make your car stop. Make sure you’re keeping your car’s balance by not letting go of the steering wheel. Try to maneuver your car to a relatively safe area. If you think you can’t avoid crashing into something, try to direct your car towards the side road and look for a wall, a post or a rise in the road. These are good options for crashing because you’ll avoid running over people.
To avoid this problem, read more about brake maintenance.
Photo from thedailygreen.com
useful and important! thank you