What to do if you have a brake failure

Having your brakesfail while driving can bea terrifying experience. Hopefully it never happens to you, but if it does, we’ve compiled some tips to help keep you safein this dangerous situation.
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Don’tPanic
A clear head is your ally behind the wheel, especially when things go awry. Ifyour brakes fail, it’s in your best interestto remain calm and takestepsto getyour car safely off the road.
Give the BrakesAnotherShot
Unlessyou’re behind the wheel of a classic car, your vehicle likely has a
dual braking system , which controls your frontand rear brakesindependently. As a result, bothhalves of the system would have to fail for your car to totally loseall braking power. Still, cuttingyour car’s braking ability in half can be enoughto make it feel unsafe, but there may still besome stopping power. Try applying strong, consistentpressure to thebrake pedal to seeif you can slow thecar down.
Take Stepsto ReduceYour Speed
Ifyour main braking systemisn’t working, one option is to very carefully employthe emergencybrake, according toTech-Cor Research. The emergency braking systemis separate from the main, hydraulic brakesystem, and it can help stop the vehicle —although it will likely take you longer to this way than it would with the traditional brakepedal.
Anotherway toslow your car down, according to theNational Safety Council, is by keeping your foot off the accelerator and downshifting sothat the enginecan help slow the car down. If you have a manual transmission, work your way down throughthe gearsto slow the car down. If you have an automatic transmission, taking your foot off the acceleratorshould cause your car to shift to lower gearsas it slows down.
However, in newer cars with automatic transmissionsthat allow you to also drive them manually, you may want to usethe paddle shifters, which are levers on thesteering wheels of cars with this feature, or put your
transmissionin manual mode and downshift to thelowest gear. Check your car owner’s manual for information on using your automaticcar in manual mode.
WorkYour Way Out of Traffic
Afteryou’ve slowed the car down, it’s critical that you getyour car off the road tominimize the chances ofgetting hit. If you’re on the highway or a larger road, you’ll need to concentrateon getting your car safely into the right lane so that you can getit off the road. Don’tforget touse your turn signals, and pay attention to surrounding traffic. Cautiously make your way into theslow lane and turn on your hazard lights when you get there. Remembertosteer around any possible hazards, and if needed, use your car’s lights and horn to alert othermotorists.
Move fromthe right lane onto the shoulder (or, ideally, somewhere safe off theroad, such as a parking lot), then shift into neutral. Use your emergency, or parking, braketo slow the car down, but beprepared torelease it if the car startsto skid. Ifthe emergencybrake doesn’t work, you’ll need tokeep your eyespeeled for other ways tostop. The National Safety Council suggeststhat you try dragging your wheels against the curbto scruboff speed or drive onto a soft shoulder.
Don’tTurn the Car Off Until You’ve Stopped
While shutting your car off might seem like it would help slow it down, it’s best tokeep the enginerunning until you’ve reacheda completestop. Turning the ignition off will also shut down your
power steering , which makes the vehicle moredifficult to turn, and it could also cause thesteering wheel to lock into place. So, you may want to get your vehicle stoppedand off theroad before turning it off.
Signal for Help
You’re going to need some assistance once your car is safely off the road. Make it obvious by raising your hood and keepingyour hazard lights on. Ifyou have reflectivetriangles or road flares, you can also put them behind your car tomake yourselfmore visible. Do your bestto stay out of oncoming traffic, and avoid standing next to (or behind) your car if you can. Useyour cellphone tocall for roadside assistance .
Be Safe
Even it seemslike thebrakes are operating normally again, it’s a good idea to have it checkedout before you try todrive it again. Have your vehicle towed to a dealer or mechanic, so they can inspect your car and provide the necessaryrepairs. Keep in mind that you can also preventproblems beforethey startby having your brakesinspected regularly.
Hopefully, you’re never in this situation, but knowing what to do if your brakes go out could help save your life, as well as the lives ofother motorists