5.3 Handling Driving Emergencies

Handling Driving Emergencies

Even the most cautious and defensive drivers can face sudden mechanical failures or loss of vehicle control. A tire blowout at 65 mph or a sudden brake failure requires immediate, precise action to prevent a catastrophic crash. Knowing exactly how to respond before an emergency happens is the key to surviving one.

Managing a Tire Blowout

A tire blowout is a rapid, explosive loss of tire pressure. It is often accompanied by a loud bang and a sudden, violent pull of the vehicle toward the side of the blown tire. Human instinct is to immediately slam on the brakes, but doing so during a blowout will almost certainly cause the vehicle to spin out of control.

Correct Procedure for a Blowout

1. Grip the Steering Wheel Firmly: Use both hands to hold the steering wheel tightly. The vehicle will pull hard; you must exert force to maintain a straight path.
2. Do Not Slam the Brakes: Keep your foot completely off the brake pedal.
3. Ease Off the Accelerator: Slowly take your foot off the gas pedal to allow the vehicle to decelerate on its own.
4. Maintain a Straight Line: Focus on steering straight ahead as the vehicle slows down.
5. Brake Gently When Slow: Once the vehicle's speed has dropped below 15-20 mph, you may gently apply the brakes.
6. Pull Off the Road: Turn on your hazard lights and carefully steer onto the shoulder or off the roadway to change the tire.

Total Brake Failure

Brake failure is terrifying. It can happen if brake lines rupture and lose hydraulic fluid. If you press the brake pedal and it goes completely to the floor with no resistance, you must act quickly to stop the vehicle.

Correct Procedure for Brake Failure

1. Pump the Brake Pedal: Immediately pump the brake pedal rapidly and hard several times. This action can sometimes build up enough residual hydraulic pressure in the lines to engage the brakes enough to stop.
2. Shift to a Lower Gear: If pumping does not work, shift the transmission into a lower gear (even if you drive an automatic, shift from 'D' to '3', '2', or 'L'). The engine braking will help slow the vehicle down.
3. Apply the Parking Brake: Carefully and gradually apply the parking brake (emergency brake). If you pull it too quickly, the rear wheels may lock up, causing a skid. Keep your hand on the release button or lever so you can release it immediately if the car begins to skid.
4. Look for a Safe Place to Stop: Steer toward an open area, a shoulder, or an upgrade to help slow the car. As a last resort, rub the tires against a curb to scrub off speed.

Recovering from a Skid

A skid occurs when the tires lose traction with the road surface, usually due to braking too hard, accelerating too fast, or turning too sharply on wet, icy, or sandy roads.

Correct Procedure for a Skid

1. Take Your Feet Off the Pedals: Remove your foot from both the accelerator and the brake pedal. Braking will only worsen a skid.
2. Steer in the Direction of the Skid: This is the most crucial step. Steer the vehicle in the direction you want the front of the car to go. If the rear of your car is skidding out to the right, turn the steering wheel to the right. As the car begins to straighten out, be prepared to steer slightly in the opposite direction to prevent snapping into a reverse skid.
3. Wait for Traction: Keep steering until the tires re-establish grip with the road, at which point you will regain full control.

Right Wheels Off the Pavement

A very common cause of rollover crashes occurs when a driver drifts slightly off the road, dropping the right-side tires onto the unpaved shoulder. Startled, the driver violently jerks the steering wheel to the left to get back on the road. The tires suddenly catch the lip of the pavement, and the vehicle aggressively shoots across the oncoming lanes or flips over.

Correct Procedure for Dropping Off the Pavement

1. Do Not Panic and Do Not Jerk the Wheel: Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and keep the car moving straight forward on the shoulder.
2. Take Your Foot Off the Gas: Allow the vehicle to slow down naturally. Brake very gently if necessary.
3. Steer Back Gradually: Once you have slowed to a manageable speed (under 15 mph), check for traffic, and turn the steering wheel gently (about a quarter turn) to smoothly ease the tires back onto the paved surface.

ABS vs. Conventional Brakes

Modern vehicles are equipped with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS). It is vital to know whether your car has ABS, as the emergency braking procedure is entirely different.

• Vehicles WITH ABS: In an emergency stop, you must press the brake pedal as hard as you can and hold it down firmly. The ABS computer will automatically pump the brakes dozens of times per second to prevent the wheels from locking up, allowing you to maintain steering control while braking heavily. You will likely feel a strong pulsing or vibrating in the pedal—do not let up; this means the system is working.
• Vehicles WITHOUT ABS (Conventional Brakes): If you slam the brakes hard, the wheels will lock up, and you will slide forward unable to steer. You must manually "pump" the brakes or apply threshold braking (pressing hard just short of locking, releasing slightly, and pressing again) to stop safely while retaining the ability to steer.