What to do when your brakes fail

Drivers in Kentucky trust their cars to remain reliable and sturdy every time they go driving. Unfortunately, there are instances where not every manufactured part is up to par. This can be particularly dangerous when it’s a crucial item like the ones involved with the braking system.

If a driver’s brakes fail while they’re on the road, quick thinking is key. Safe Bee lists the ways that brake failure should be handled in order to avoid accidents or injury. For example, the parking brake should be relied on if the brakes do not respond. However, drivers should know that it will not usually stop the car entirely. The transmission should also be shifted to a lower gear or to neutral. This will slow down the car’s momentum and allow the driver to find a way to slow down naturally without risking a higher speed collision. The driver may then guide the car away from other vehicles.

Car Talk seconds this opinion and adds that a driver should only look for soft things to crash into if the downshift and parking brakes do not work. However, they also state that most parking systems have two sets of brakes. This means that there are very few instances where a driver’s braking system will completely fail. While it is possible due to manufacturing errors, it is very rare, and what feels like a full system failure is usually just half a system breaking. Applying strong pressure might be enough to get the car to stop as well, and should be tried early.

Panicking is the one thing that should be avoided in this scenario. By keeping calm and slowing the car down little by little instead of frantically, accidents may be avoided.