It is important to know how to react to equipment problems with driving. Bad reactions to equipment failures can result in personal injuries and even death.
BRAKE FAILURE
If your brakes do not work and they are not anti-lock brakes, you should do the following:
- Downshift to low gear;
- Pump the brake pedal fast to build up brake fluid pressure
- Apply the parking brake but release it if car skids
- Steer and swerve into bushes or soft landing area
- Sound horn to warn others
- Turn off car when car stops
If you car has anti-lock brakes, you should do the following:
- Apply firm and steady pressure to brake pedal
- Steer car around any obstacles
- Release brake pressure
- Drive normally but travel at lower speed once you have control of the car
TIRE BLOWOUT
If you have a tire blowout, do the following:
- slown down gradually
- hold the steering wheel tightly and steer straight ahead
- take foot off gas but do not appl brakes
- slow to a stop
- turn on emergency flashers
- apply brakes when car is almost stopped
HEADLIGHT FAILURE
If headlights go out at night, you should:
- Try the dimmer switch
- Try to headlight switch
- Put parking lights and emergency lights on or turn on signal
- Pull off the road ASAP and leave flashers on
STUCK GAS PEDAL
If your gas pedal gets stuck when driving, do the following:
- Shift to neutral
- Apply brakes
- Look for way out
- Do not look down at gas pedal
- Flash lights and honk horn to alert others
- Drive car safely off the road
- Turn off ignition
- Try to free pedal by tapping it or placing toe under the pedal lifting
CAR STUCK IN MUD OR SNOW
If your car is stuck in the mud or snow, do the following:
- Shift to low gear and keep front wheels straight
- Gently step on gas pedal
- Avoid spinning wheels and drive forward as possible
- Shift to reverse and back up as far as possible
- Shift to low gear again and drive forward
- Repeat forward-backward motion
- Put boards or branches under tires when car is not in motion
- Put chains on tires
OVERHEATING
If your car is overheating do the following:
- Turn off the a/c and turn heater on to draw heat away from engine
- Shift to neutral and accelerate slightly to reduce engine load and increase air and coolant flow
- Do not driver if steam is coming up from under the hood
- Pull to side of the road, turn off engine and wait for it to cool
- Do not open radiator cap
- If battery is dead, know rules of how to jump start a battery (red clamp to positive post and black camp to negative post; do not touch cars, start car with live battery, start car with dead battery; remove cables in opposite order in which they are placed)
