How to quickly handle a car brake failure situation
(Baonghean.vn) - A car losing its brakes is one of the most dangerous situations for drivers. But there are ways to help drivers limit the risks if their car loses its brakes. Learn the steps to take if you experience this dangerous situation.
- Keep calm.This advice is often considered boring in the style of “already know, it is painful to say it over and over again”, until we fall into danger. Without calm, we cannot take the next steps. Just keep the driver proactive, the opportunity for the people around is much higher.
- Take your foot off the accelerator or turn off the cruise control systemif activated. Cruise control can be automatically turned off when the brake is applied or the clutch is released, but to be safe, the driver should turn it off.
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- Focus on testing the brake pedal response.If the brake pedal is soft and easy to press to the floor, it is likely that the brake fluid is low or there is a problem with the hydraulic piston, drum, or brake caliper. The driver can apply some braking pressure by pressing the brake pedal repeatedly. If the brake pedal is hard and does not budge, look under the floor to see if there is anything stuck in the pedal; if you have a partner, you can ask them to look so you can concentrate on driving.
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- Pressing and releasing the brake pedal several times in a row can restore pressure to the brake system.to stop the car. This will take some time, but it is worth trying, even if the car is equipped with ABS. The driver presses the brake pedal all the way to the floor to help restore pressure more effectively.
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- For manual transmission vehicles, drivers should shift to a lower gear.to let the engine slow down the vehicle instead of braking. Gear shifting should be done sequentially according to the actual speed of the vehicle, if the vehicle is immediately shifted to 1st or 2nd gear, the driver may lose control of the vehicle.
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- For automatic transmission vehicles, the driver moves the gear lever to the manual gear position.and shift the car into lower gears.
- The handbrake can be used to stop the vehicle, the process of pulling the handbrake should be done slowly,Apply the brake regularly instead of pulling the brake too quickly, causing the wheel to lock, especially when the vehicle is running at high speed. When the wheel is locked, the driver will have difficulty controlling the vehicle due to skidding. Use the button at the top of the brake lever to adjust the braking force applied to the rear wheel. When you feel the wheel slipping, adjust the brake lever.
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- For electronic handbrake, the button can be pressed 3 times in a row,to activate the brake slowly and press again 1 or 2 times to stop the car completely.
- Turn on the emergency lights and honk continuouslyto let other vehicles pay attention and proactively avoid the road. Open the window to take advantage of the wind to reduce speed, as well as shout to warn others.
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-If the road is wide enough,Keep steering left and right to create friction to help slow down the car.However, only do this when the vehicle is not traveling at high speed. Continuous steering at high speed can cause the vehicle to roll over.
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-Drivers can try their luck bypull the car close to roadside obstacles.The friction created can help the car stop, but this is only a last resort. The driver can either pull up against a guardrail to stop the car, or drive into areas such as gravel, sand, small bushes, or rear-end another car.
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