The contemporary automobile is designed with cutting-edge technology to prevent any near-death experiences. The brake is an exception, despite the fact that other auto parts offer reasonable notice before colliding head-on. It’s crucial to know what to do if your brakes fail while you’re driving. Even though the sophisticated design and construction of the majority of cars almost eliminate brake failure episodes. It’s a good idea to be aware that you must act quickly to prevent an imminent disaster. If you ever have the momentary realization that your brakes aren’t working. Or are just getting ready for a wet day. 

Some of us could be fortunate enough to encounter this on an empty road. But if you come from the unfortunate slot, it is much more challenging to go through the unsuccessful session. W frequently receive the question, “What do you do if your brakes fail,” as a vehicle lover. And I want to make this essay available to anyone who might be seeking for answers.

Let’s look at some of the actions you may take in the event that your brakes fail.

Procedure to follow if brakes fail while driving

The worst aspect of operating a two-ton metal machine is when the brakes fail. Here are five split-second life-saving tips to get you through it.

Stop accelerating now!

You’d be astonished at how many people forget to do it despite the fact that it’s the most obvious thing to do. You experience shock and paralysing anxiety when your brake fails, which causes you to accelerate more aggressively than usual. As soon as you realise the brake has failed you, the first thing to do is to let off the throttle.

Read more: What type of car brake fluid is best for your vehicle?

Display Clear Signs

As I previously indicated, those who are fortunate enough to encounter this predicament do so on a desolate road, but for those who are not, the following advice is provided: Become seen or heard. When your brakes fail, you should make yourself visible and alert people to the fact that you’ve lost control of the car. Turn on your hazard lights to alert oncoming traffic. Make sure to signal before pulling into the emergency lane or away from the flow of traffic. Use the horn to get other cars’ attention if your danger lights are not particularly apparent.

Reverse

Even though your car’s brakes aren’t working, you may still try to slow it down by shifting into a lower gear. This is done to lessen the vehicle’s motion and increase control. When downshifting, you could hear a surprising noise, but as long as you’re shifting the gears carefully, one at a time, it’s okay. Avoid selecting the lowest gear right away!

Maintaining the red line on your rev counter will help you shift gears without going over it. In a manual transmission, this entails shifting through each gear one at a time until you reach the second gear, where most cars go at 60–70 mph. Use the sequential gears in L with the most recent automatic vehicles. Bring the equipment to B for the electric version.

Learn in advance how to slow down a vehicle in case of brake failure if your vehicle is a little different model. Avoid putting the gear in neutral since doing so would prevent the engine from being able to stop, which may place you in a very scary scenario.

Increase Brake Pressure

Your hope may leave you the instant you realise that your brakes are failing. But hold on, with contemporary cars, there is always a way to locate some backup to eventually put the car to a stop.

The goal of pumping the brakes is to discover the last amount of power left in the system and hope that it will be sufficient to stop the vehicle. Fast brake application will increase the pressure in the brake fluid, reawakening the brakes. The goal is to pump it up a few times before applying heavy pressure to the brakes. The good news is that the front and rear brakes are powered separately by a dual braking system, which is a feature of current automobiles and technology. This means that instead of experiencing a full failure, you could have just lost half of your braking force. Of course, losing even a portion of one’s capacity to stop the automobile is terrible, but at least there is still hope.

By applying pressure to the brakes, you could enable the other brake system component to stop the vehicle. As you continue to steer for antilock brakes, apply the brakes firmly. For the regular one, pump the brakes with brief taps. Ask your technician what type of brakes your automobile utilises when you need to repair the brakes on it.

Emergency Brake for Serious Circumstances

The emergency brake is the recommended course of action to take if your brakes fail. Although it can seem to be the quickest and most practical choice, there are a few considerations to make to avoid spinning out and losing control of the vehicle.

At high speeds, applying the handbrake or emergency brake might send the vehicle spinning or cause the brake to overheat and become inoperable. It is advisable to apply the brakes after you have managed to slow down your vehicle to around 15-20 km/h before using the emergency braking system. You might want to proceed cautiously with this one because the handbrakes are only intended to function on the back wheels.

Since the emergency brake is independent of the main braking system, it remains functional even when the primary brakes malfunction.  However, bear in mind that stopping your automobile using the emergency brake may take more time. Select brake repair as part of your routine maintenance to guarantee that your emergency brake is operational at all times.

Take away the Power

Although not the best advice, when combined with others, it could help to slow down the automobile. After adjusting the thermostat to the coldest temperature and the fastest fan speed, turn on our air conditioner. The plan is to use a few kilowatts of electricity, which will put pressure on the engine. The air conditioner is mentioned since it uses the engine the most; nevertheless, you may increase drag by turning on all the other equipment.

Navigate Yourself Safely

It is crucial to leave the main route as soon as you have managed to slow down your automobile in order to prevent being hit, especially if you are in the centre of the highway. Going to the right lane is advised is advised to go to the right lane because you can’t precisely stop your automobile in the middle of the road. Utilise your signals, pay attention to oncoming traffic, and be mindful of any potential risks. To draw attention to yourself and your vehicle, use your lights and horn.

Resistant Stop

This can end up being one of your last options for stopping your car.  It involves some automotive damage, but ultimately, your life is more important than a few dings and scrapes. Additionally, you can always take your automobile to a servicing facility to restore it to new condition.

I scrape the wheels against the curb slowly and softly as one technique to generate friction. Of course, it isn’t the best advise for your alloy wheels or tyres, but in crisis situations, desperate measures must be taken. If you’re on a highway, you may achieve the same result using concrete barriers.

The automobile can also be stopped by using the grass verges to provide the necessary resistance or by simply stopping it against shrubs or hedges. The sort of solution we are searching for doesn’t involve your car spinning or flipping, so stay away from any rough or towering stone barriers. Make careful to try the resistance stop once you are a bit further from the road and have enough room to carry it out safely.

Do Not Turn Off!

The best advise I’ve ever heard on how to react if your brakes fail while you’re driving is to never turn off the engine. When things start to spiral out of control, it can seem like the most logical thing to do, but once the machine is turned off, the steering will lock and the car will become more difficult to move.

You can turn off the engine and make an assistance request after you have managed to stop your car. Select a brake service and have the car towed to the closest auto repair shop. Never skip your planned maintenance or repairs to prevent such circumstances.

This concludes our article on what to do if your brakes malfunction while you are driving. I’m hoping that reading this has adequately prepared you for a circumstance like this. Feel free to leave a remark below if you have any questions or concerns.