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Monday, March 13, 2000
How To React To Driving Emergencies
by Peter Graham
If you can stay calm in a driving crisis, think fast and react correctly, safety experts say you can avoid many disasters at the wheel.
- Brake failure: If pumping the pedal doesn't work, try the parking brake, then shift into a lower gear. As a last resort, sideswipe something like a curb or guardrail to reduce speed.
- Blowout: If a tire blows, don't slam on your brakes. Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and drive on a straight path. After you slow down, brake lightly and guide the car off the road.
- Overheated engine: First, make sure your A/C is off. This causes the engine to work harder. If turning the A/C off doesn't cool the engine down within a couple of minutes, engage your emergency flashers, pull off the road, and turn off the engine. If your vehicle has an electric cooling fan (and most of your coolant is still in the radiator and not on the ground), turn the key on with the engine off. This will cool the water in the radiator.
After 2 minutes, start the engine for approximately 30 seconds. This will circulate the cooler water from the radiator back into the engine. Again, turn the key to the on position without starting the motor. After another couple of minutes, circulate the water again. The temperature indicator light should be off by then, and you should be able to drive to a nearby, safe place. On the way to that place, you can also turn the heater fan on high and the temperature as high as it will go. (You may want to roll down your windows.) This will dissipate more heat from the engine, and sometimes, just a little bit can make the difference.
Remember! Never open a hot radiator to check the water level. You may be covered with boiling water!
- If your car catches fire: Pull off the road, turn off the ignition, and get everyone far away from the car. Fires in the rear of the car are the most dangerous.
- Sticking accelerator: Try pulling it up with your foot. If that doesn't work, shift into neutral or engage the clutch while pulling off the road and coming to a stop. Turn the engine off immediately. A racing engine can tear itself apart.
- Heavy fog: Reduce speed, and turn on the wipers and defroster, flashers and low-beam headlights. Signal turns and brake for stops well in advance so drivers behind you have plenty of warning.
- Hood blows up: Reduce speed, put your head out the window to see where you are, and pull off the road. In some cars you can see between the raised hood and windshield. Check to see if you can in yours.
- Deep puddles: Go slow. If the car stalls, coast to the side of the road. You might have to wait half an hour for parts to dry. A good habit after going through deep puddles is to pump your brakes to help dry out the linings. This will help you stop quickly if needed and avoid the tendency of the car to pull to the dry side while braking.
- Live electrical wires fall on your car: Stay inside and don't touch the door handles or other metallic parts until the danger has been eliminated.
According to Adventure Road magazine, this is the best procedure when you have a breakdown: get off the road, raise the hood and tie a white cloth to the antenna or door handle. At night leave your flashers on. Stay in the car and lock the doors. If a stranger stops, lower the window slightly and ask that he or she call for assistance.
Peter Graham is a staff writer for Insider Reports®: The Right Advice @ The Right Time
Information and resources to help you do it yourself since 1987.
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