Driving can be risky. Sometimes accidents can occur even with the utmost care and preparation. Not because of you, but the negligence of others. Just because it might happen anyway doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put any effort into your car’s safety. So, you should do your best to minimize the risks and survive in driving emergencies. After all, nothing is more precious than life.
While technological breakthroughs have significantly improved the cars to withstand a greater degree of danger, they aren’t fully risk-free. You may be a good driver with tons of experience and well prepared with defensive driving techniques, but accidents might still occur. It may be a sudden car failure, other people’s faults, or mother nature at work — you never really know. So, if something unfortunate happens, it’s important to know what to do quickly. There is no room for error when danger is knocking at the door. These emergencies give you little time to think and act. Thus, staying informed can help you to react properly without panicking. Here are some possible emergencies and the prevention measures to protect yourself:
Tire blowout
Tire blowouts should be an expected occurrence if you’re driving on an old or neglected tire. Things like underinflated tires or overloading your car can easily make your tire blow. Even if you maintain your tire pressure or avoid overloading, potholes or impacts with obstacles can still blow out your tires unexpectedly. When you experience a tire blowout, your first instinct might be to hit the brakes and stop the car immediately; don’t do this. When you drive at high speed and if one of your tires fails, stopping abruptly will cause the car to spin and eventually crash. Instead, take your feet off the accelerator and let the car coast. After you gradually slow down and come to a stop, pull up to the side of the road. You might also notice that it’s impossible to accelerate your car on a flat tire. Once you’ve safely parked in a safe spot on the road, call for help or change the tires yourself if you have the necessary equipment and knowledge.
If you haven’t figured it out already, the best way to avoid tire blowouts is by taking good care of your tires. Replace the tires annually and check tire pressure every month. Also, be careful of potholes or other objects on the road that may blow out your tires.
Run-off-road collision
Run-off-road collisions are single-vehicle accidents where the vehicle goes off the roadway by losing control of the tires. It can be caused by several reasons like inattentiveness, driving under the influence, high speed or trying to avoid other obstacles on the road, etc. If the vehicle heats a solid, immovable object like a tree or rolls over, the damage can cause severe injury. If you find yourself in a situation where your tires have gone off the road or pavement, immediately take your foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down. Once the car has slowed down, steer towards the road to relocate yourself. If you are driving under the influence, it’s best to stop and call for help. However, if there is no room for slowing down and you’re about to go off a cliff or collide with the object, consider using your car’s ABS.
The best way to avoid run-off-road collisions is to be attentive and keep your eyes on the road. This will keep you on track and prevent possible mishaps. We also recommend not to drive at very high speeds where you may lose control, especially around turns and bends on the road. Most importantly, driving under the influence of alcohol or certain medication should be avoided at all costs.
Stuck throttle
Stuck throttles often cause your car to accelerate constantly. Depending on the surrounding, stuck throttles may get you in an accident, so you need to stop the car as fast as possible. Shift the car to a neutral transmission and press the brakes as hard as you can — you can even use both your feet to press the brakes if needed. Brakes are far more powerful than the engine, and after you brake hard enough, the car will gradually slow down. Once you have slowed down or come to a stop, turn off the ignition quickly. Call for help to repair your vehicle since trying to drive again would be a foolish idea. To prevent stuck throttles, check your floor mats to see if they are properly installed.
Brakes fail
Brakes can fail when the brake pads eventually wear out, or the brake fluid dries up; whatever the reason may be, it is a dangerous situation. If your brakes become unresponsive, try pumping the brakes fast and hard to build up brake fluid pressure. Lets say even that doesn’t work, then apply your parking or emergency brakes. If even that fails, downshift your gear until you slowly coast to a stop. After coming to a stop, turn off the ignition and call for help. Don’t restart the vehicle and expect the failed brakes to be a one-time incident.
General advice
Whatever emergency you are facing, the first order of business is to keep calm. When you panic, you are prone to making even more mistakes. Regardless of the nature of an emergency, you must have a strong mental fortitude. An easy way to avoid emergencies is to be careful on the road. This includes regular maintenance and preparation for emergencies. Many activities constantly happen on the road, and it’s your duty to monitor everything carefully for everyone’s safety. If you do find yourself in an emergency, turn on your hazard lights as soon as possible. This will inform cars around you that you are experiencing a serious problem and steer clear of your way. Additionally, you may also honk your horn several times to warn vehicles in front of you or other pedestrians on your way. If you neglect to put on hazard lights, other vehicles may collide with you, especially on the high-speed lane.
