subject: Brake Failures and What To Do [print this page] Brake Failures and What To Do Brake Failures and What To Do
Brake problems are very rare on cars nowadays as systems are far better designed, but sometimes, as with all machinery, things go wrong.
If you find that you come to brake and they don't work, then the easiest thing to do is panic and apply the handbrake, but this is a very dangerous manoeuvre, especially if the car is moving at speed. It can cause you to spin out and lose control, and this means that it is especially hazardous for the other cars and vehicles on the road around you.
What you can do is put your car in a lower gear, as this allows the engine to slow, and therefore the car to slow too. Don't change to too low a gear as this can cause the car to skid, just make your way down the gears, lowering them slowly. A skid will put you in other danger from collision, so try to remain calm and be careful. Don't turn the engine off, as the cars power steering will stop too, causing the whole process to become harder, and don't put the car into neutral as the brake engine brake system will be stopped.
If you are driving on the motorway then make your way onto the hard shoulder as quick as you can to minimise accidents with other cars. Be really careful and keep an eye on the cars around you as you move over. It seems a bit of a silly point but don't press the accelerator as this will obviously add boost to the car when you are simply trying to slow it down to a stop calmly.
Make sure that you put your hazard warning lights on to alert other road users to the fact that there is a problem, it will cause them to drive a bit more cautiously around you and therefore make the whole situation safer.
If you think you are going to hit something then go for something soft. A fence, for example of preferable to a tree in terms of the damage it will cause.
Make sure that you have Car Insurance to protect you.
