My brakes failed on the highway. And here is what I did.
I was driving on the highway the other day when I pressed the brake pedal and… nothing happened. It’s one of those things you see in movies and you think, “that would never happen to me.” But it did. The car was just sailing along with no way to slow down.
Luckily, I had a moment of clarity and remembered a few things that helped. The first thing is to stay calm. I know, easier said than done, but it’s the most important part. Get both hands on the wheel and don't make any sudden moves.
Here's what I did next. I checked for anything under the pedal -- there wasn't. Then I tried pumping the brake pedal a bunch of times. Sometimes that works. It didn't for me, but it's worth a shot.
The real key was engine braking. I have an automatic car with a manual mode, so I shifted down slowly. That uses the engine's resistance to slow the car down. It felt like an eternity, but I was finally starting to lose speed. In a manual car, you can just downshift through the gears.
I also used the emergency brake, but very gently. You don’t want to lock up the wheels, so you just pull it slowly and steadily. This worked together with the engine braking to get my car to a safe speed.
I was able to pull off the road and get to a safe spot. I’m just so thankful I remembered these tips.
It’s a terrifying situation, but knowing what to do makes all the difference...
#RoadSafetyConcerns #CarSafety #DrivingTips #Emergency #CarMaintenance #Cars #LifeLessons #BrakeSafetyWeek
