Breakdowns and emergencies

By the end of this topic you can

• You can brake hard in an emergency with or without ABS.
• You can keep control after a tire blowout.
• You can respond to a stuck accelerator or failed headlights.
• You can return safely to the road after the wheels drop onto the shoulder.
• You can stop safely and make your vehicle visible after a breakdown.

What you need to know and understand

• With ABS, press the brake hard and keep pressing; the pedal may pulse, and you can still steer.
• Threshold braking, for cars without ABS, means braking as hard as possible without locking the wheels.
• Cars have a dual-circuit brake system, so total brake failure is rare.
• Ontario's handbook says to pump the pedal if the brakes fail, then use the parking brake; SGI says not to pump a modern dual-circuit system but to press much harder.
• In a blowout, hold the wheel firmly and ease off the gas before braking.
• If your wheels leave the pavement, slow down first and steer back on only when you are in control.
• Never stop in a driving lane if you can avoid it.

Hard braking and brake trouble

Find out whether your car has ABS: an ABS light shows on the dashboard when you start it, and the owner's manual will say. With ABS, push the pedal down hard and hold it. You will feel pulsing and hear noise; that is normal. Keep steering around the hazard. Without ABS, brake firmly just short of locking the wheels, and if a wheel locks, ease off slightly and press again.

If the brake warning light comes on or the pedal goes soft, pull over when it is safe. Handbooks differ on pumping: Ontario says pump the pedal to restore pressure and then apply the parking brake gently but firmly; Saskatchewan says keep pressing hard without pumping, use the parking brake without locking the rear wheels, and shift to a lower gear. Everyone agrees: once stopped, do not drive on until the brakes are repaired.

Blowouts, stuck pedals and dark roads

• Blowout: grip the wheel, keep looking and steering where you want to go, and take your foot off the gas. Brake gently only once the car has slowed and is under control. Stop well off the road.
• Stuck accelerator: turn on your hazard lights and shift to neutral. Slow down and stop off the road, then switch off the engine. Never reach down with your hands while moving.
• Headlights fail at night: check the switch. If they stay out, turn on your hazard lights, slow down holding your course, and pull off the road safely.

When the wheels drop off the pavement

This is where learners most often make things worse by yanking the wheel. The rule is to do less, not more.

1. Grip the wheel firmly and stay calm.
2. Take your foot off the gas and avoid heavy braking.
3. Steer straight along the shoulder while the car slows.
4. When you are slow and the road is clear, steer gently back on and be ready to straighten so you do not cross the centre line.

Breaking down on a highway

At the first sign of trouble, signal and move onto the shoulder or the nearest exit, with hazard lights on. Stop as far from traffic as you can, and never on a bridge or in a tunnel if you can avoid it. Manitoba suggests warning devices about 60 metres in front of and behind the car if you have them.

Whether you stay in the car depends on the setting and your handbook. Ontario says to wait inside with the doors locked on a busy highway; the NWT manual has passengers wait at a safe spot away from the vehicle. In winter, staying with the car for warmth matters most.

Common mistakes

• Releasing the brake when ABS starts pulsing. Keep firm pressure; the pulsing means it is working.
• Braking hard the moment a tire blows. Hold the wheel and ease off the gas first.
• Jerking the wheel to get back on the road after dropping onto the shoulder. Slow down first, then return gently.
• Stopping in a live lane after a breakdown. Get onto the shoulder or off the road with hazard lights on.
• Driving on after a brake warning. Stop and have the brakes checked.

Test yourself: Breakdowns and emergencies

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.