Session 34 – Vehicle Emergencies Part 2

Gas Pedal Sticks

If the engine keeps going faster and faster:

• keep your eyes on the road.
• quickly shift to neutral.
• pull off the road when safe to do so.
• turn off the engine.

Leaving Your Vehicle on the Roadside

Contact the nearest law enforcement agency if your vehicle breaks down and you must leave it for any period of time. Be sure to get it off the roadway and onto the shoulder so it is out of the way of other traffic.

Avoiding Collisions

When it looks like a collision may happen, many drivers panic and fail to act. In some cases they do act, but they do something that does not help to reduce the chance of the collision. There is almost always something you can do to avoid a crash or to reduce the impact of a crash. In avoiding a collision, you have three options: stop, turn or speed up.

Stopping Quickly

Many newer vehicles have Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Be sure to read your vehicle owner’s manual on how to use ABS. ABS will help you stop with less or no skidding by keeping the wheels from locking up. In general, follow these guidelines if you need to stop quickly.

With ABS:

• press on the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep pressing on
  it. You will feel the brake pedal pushing back when the ABS is working. You will also hear the noise ABS makes when it is working.
• do not let up on the brake pedal. ABS will only work when the brake pedal is pushed down hard and held there.

Without ABS:

• apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking them
  (you can cause the vehicle to go into a skid if you brake too hard).
• you will feel the vehicle start to skid if the brakes lock up. If that happens, quickly ease off the brake pedal a little.
• as soon as the vehicle stops skidding, push down on the brake pedal again. Keep doing this until the vehicle has stopped.

Turning Quickly

In most cases, you can turn the vehicle quicker than you can stop it. You should consider turning in order to avoid a collision.

Make sure you have a good grip with both hands on the steering wheel. Once you have turned away or changed lanes, you must be ready to keep the vehicle under control. Some drivers steer away from one collision only to end up in another. Always steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go.

With ABS: A valuable feature of ABS is that you can turn your vehicle while braking with less or no skidding. Warning: Do not “jerk” the steering wheel (steer violently) while braking if you have ABS. Doing so may send you farther to the side than intended, because the vehicle will continue to respond to steering input while ABS is working. Practice using ABS in an empty parking lot so you know how the vehicle will respond.

Without ABS: If you do not have ABS, you must use a different procedure to turn quickly. You should step on the brake pedal, then let up and turn the steering wheel. Braking will slow the vehicle, put more weight on the front tires, and allow for a quicker turn. Do not lock up the front wheels while braking or turn so sharply that the vehicle can only plow ahead. Remember… generally it is better to run off the road than to crash head-on into another vehicle. Do not swerve into the opposing lane; turn to the right, going off the roadway if necessary.

Speeding Up

Sometimes it is best or necessary to speed up to avoid a collision. This may happen when another vehicle is about to hit you from the side or from behind and there is room in front of you to get out of danger. Be sure to slow down once the danger has passed.

Dealing With Skids

Any road that is safe under normal conditions can be dangerous when it is wet or has snow or ice on it. High speeds under normal conditions also increase the possibility of a skid if you must suddenly turn or stop. Skids are caused when the tires can no longer grip the road. Because you cannot control a vehicle when it is skidding, it is best to keep your vehicle from skidding in the first place.

If your vehicle begins to skid:

Stay off the brake. Until the vehicle slows, your brakes will not work. Using them could cause you to skid more.

Steer. Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the vehicle to go. As soon as the vehicle begins to straighten out, turn the steering wheel back the other way. If you do not do so, your vehicle may swing around in the other direction and you could start a new skid.

Continue to steer. Continue to correct your steering: left and right: until the vehicle is again moving down the road under your control.

Protect Yourself In Collisions

Try everything you can to keep from getting hit. However, you may not always be able to avoid a collision. If it looks like nothing will work, try to lessen any injuries that could result from a crash. The most important thing you can do is to use your lap and shoulder belts. Besides your safety belts, there are a couple of other things that could help prevent more serious injuries.

Hit From the Rear

If your vehicle is hit from the rear, your body will be thrown backwards. Press yourself against the back of your seat and put your head against the head restraint. Be ready to apply your brakes so you will not be pushed into another vehicle.

Hit From the Side

If your vehicle is hit from the side, your body will be thrown toward the side that is hit. Air bags will not help in this situation (although a few vehicles now have side-impact air bags which will help). Your lap and shoulder belts are needed to help keep you behind the wheel. Get ready to steer or brake to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else.

Hit From the Front

If your vehicle is about to be hit from the front, it is important to try to have a “glancing blow” rather than being struck head on. This means that if a collision is going to happen, you should try to turn the vehicle. This will help to avoid a head on collision. If your vehicle has an air bag, it will inflate. It will deflate following the crash, so
be ready to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else.