What To Do If Your Brakes Fail
One of the scariest things that can happen when you're on the road is having your brakes go out. Your mind instantly goes to panic mode as you try the brake pedal over and over again, only for your vehicle to keep going the same speed. If this ever happens to you, it is important to act fast and push aside the fear and panic so that you can get your vehicle stopped safely. Here are tips for slowing down your vehicle if the brakes have gone out.
Downshift Your Car
The very first thing you should do when you realize your brakes have gone out is downshift your car. By putting it into a lower gear, the engine will begin to slow down the vehicle on its own. If you aren't going very fast to begin with, you're lucky because downshifting alone gets you to a slow enough speed to safely pull over. Even if you have an automatic vehicle, you can still downshift to a different gear. Don't downshift too quickly, but go through the gears one at a time until you start to feel your car slowing.
Use the Emergency Brake
Your vehicle shouldn't depend on the emergency brake to stop, but it does help to use the e-brake if your brakes fail. You will need to have a vehicle with a strong emergency brake in order for it to be effective. If you have an automatic transmission, your emergency brake is either a level to the right of you, or a pedal on the far left of the floor. Manual vehicles typically have the lever for the emergency brake.
Start Getting Out of Traffic
Once you have made these steps to begin slowing down your vehicle, you can start working your way out of traffic. Always aim to the right when trying to get out of traffic if your brakes stop. The goal is to avoid a collision with other vehicles and get to the right shoulder. Whether you are on a road or the freeway, you need to get over to the far right lane. Do not put your foot on the brake or try to turn your car off. Simply cruise over to the right side of the road to get out of the way of other drivers.
Warn Other Drivers
It is also a good idea to let other drivers know you are having an emergency so they can steer clear of you. Put on your hazards and start honking your horn if you need to. Do whatever you need to do to get them away from your vehicle so you can get your car stopped without getting into an accident. Typically, just putting on your hazard lights is enough to warn other drivers and let them know you're trying to handle an emergency situation.
Once you have gotten to the shoulder of the road and your vehicle has stopped completely, turn off the engine. Call a roadside service, like Ruhls Diesel Repair, for a tow back home or to the mechanic.
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