At one time or another, most drivers encounter some sort of emergency involving a malfunction of their vehicle or a situation requiring emergency driving techniques. If these emergencies are not handled properly, the result can be accident, injury or even death.

In an emergency, panic is the real enemy. Emergency plans, like the ones described here, can help prevent panic and possibly save lives. Following are some of the most common emergencies and how they can be handled, so that accident prevention, along with pedestrian and motorist safety, are the prime concerns.

Stopping on the highway

Many emergencies require stopping on the highway. Stopping on a highway for any reason is dangerous, so if you must stop, observe the following precautions:

• If the highway has paved shoulders, signal your intention to pull off the highway, pull off at near traffic speed, then slow down. If the shoulder is unpaved, signal a right turn and slow down to a safe speed before pulling off the paved roadway.
• In dusk, darkness, or bad weather, leave your low-beam headlights on and turn on your interior lights and your four-way flasher.
• If you have to stop in a risky location (such as over the crest of a hill or on a curve), get everyone out of the vehicle and well away from traffic.
• Place a flare or other warning device just behind the vehicle and another at least 300 feet (91m) farther back. Retrieve them before you drive away.
• If you need help, raise the hood and tie a white cloth to the antenna or left door handle.

Throttle sticking

You're driving along a street or highway and for some reason, you must slow down. You reduce the foot pressure on the accelerator but the accelerator pedal does not respond and the vehicle does not slow down. On the other hand, for some reason, the accelerator pedal is suddenly depressed to the floor, and the vehicle lurches forward, although you've taken your foot off the accelerator. What can you do?

If this situation occurs on the open highway and you have a lot of distance between you and other traffic, you can first lightly tap the accelerator pedal a few times to see if it will spring back to its normal position. If this fails, try to pull the pedal up with the toe of your shoe, or have a front seat passenger reach down and do it. Don't reach down yourself because that would divert your attention from the road.

If you must slow or stop rapidly, turn your ignition to OFF and apply the brakes. However, be sure you turn the key to OFF, not LOCK. On most vehicles, you can't turn the steering wheel when the key is in the lock position. If you have power steering and power brakes, turning off the ignition will require increased physical effort to steer and brake the vehicle as the vehicle slows. As the vehicle slows down, steer it off the roadway, if possible.

Off means any key position that will turn off the engine but not lock the steering. Ignition systems on vehicles vary. Make sure you know which position will cut the engine without locking the steering.

After you stop the vehicle, look for the source of trouble. The accelerator pedal may be binding on the floor mat or the rug in your vehicle, and you can easily free the pedal by moving the rug or mat. If the problem is not in the passenger compartment, look in your engine compartment and check the accelerator linkage. Some of the parts may be stuck or binding and a little oil (from the dipstick used to check your oil) may solve the problem.

If you can't locate and remedy the problem (for example, it may be caused by a broken or missing accelerator return spring or by a broken motor mount), don't drive the vehicle. Get help so the problem can be corrected.

If you think you've corrected the problem, make certain before driving the vehicle. Apply the emergency (or parking) brake firmly, put the gear selector in Park or Neutral, and start the vehicle. Exercise the accelerator pedal a few times to make sure it returns to its normal position after you remove your foot from the pedal. Then put the vehicle in gear and try revving the engine a few times before releasing the parking brake and proceeding on your way.

Brake failure

Newer vehicles have a split braking system designed to reduce the possibility of total brake failure (loss of brakes on all four wheels). They have a warning light on the instrument panel which lights up when your brakes are failing due to such problems as loss of pressure in the braking system. When the brake failure light comes on, slow, pull off the road, and don't proceed until you have the problems corrected or determine that you can drive safely to the nearest service facility. Because of the split braking system, the chances are that you will have some braking power left when the brake failure light comes on, but you may have to apply more force to the brake pedal and will need a greater distance to stop. If half of the braking system remains, proceed cautiously to the nearest service station or garage.

However, if you have a complete brake failure, what can you do to stop? There are several things you can try, but you must act rapidly.

• First, get off the highway onto the shoulder or other clear area, if possible.
• Try pumping your brakes rapidly to bring up your brake pressure.
• If pumping doesn't work, put the gear selector in a lower range (Dl, 2, or equivalent in vehicles with automatic transaxles/transmissions or shift to a lower gear in vehicles with manual transaxles/transmissions) to give some braking power from the engine, and apply the emergency or parking brake with increased force.
• If none of the above works and you are in danger of crashing into someone or something, or of going down an embankment, there is one more thing you can try-but only as a last resort. Turn the ignition OFF and move the gear selector to low. This may damage your transaxle/transmission, but it may help you to stop in a real emergency.

Driving with Anti-lock Brake Systems ABS

When used properly, an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is a safe and effective braking system. ABS allows the driver to maintain directional stability, control over steering, and in some situations, to reduce stopping distances during emergency braking situations, particularly on wet and slippery road surfaces. To gain this safety advantage, drivers must learn how to operate their ABS correctly.

An anti-lock braking system works with the regular brakes on your vehicle. Your vehicle will always have its foundation braking system, even if ABS were to fail. ABS simply keeps the foundation brakes from locking up. Only the foundation brakes are needed in most stops. ABS activates only in slippery conditions or during panic stops when a driver slams on the brakes, thus causing them to lock up. In vehicles not equipped with ABS, the driver can manually pump the brakes to prevent wheel lockup. In vehicles equipped with ABS, the driver's foot should remain firmly on the brake pedal, allowing the system to automatically pump the brakes.

When your brakes lock up on wet and slippery roads or during a panic stop, you lose steering control and your vehicle can spin. ABS prevents wheel lockup so that your vehicle stays in a straight line. If your vehicle has ABS control on all four wheels, you also keep steering control. If you have steering control, it is possible to avoid a crash by steering around hazards if a complete stop cannot be accomplished in time.

Most newer models offer ABS as either standard or optional equipment. There are different ways to find out whether your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system:

• Read the owner's manual.
• Check your instrument panel for an amber ABS indicator light after you turn on the ignition.
• When you buy, lease or rent, ask your dealer or rental car company.

If you normally pump the brakes, you shouldn't do so if you have ABS. Just hold your foot firmly on the brake pedal and ignore the sounds or pedal pulsing you may experience. And remember that you can still steer.

What ABS does is similar to a person pumping the brakes. It automatically changes the pressure in your vehicle's brake lines to maintain maximum brake performance just short of locking up the wheels. ABS does this very rapidly with electronics.

ABS systems are all very similar in the way they control brake pressure, but some systems are designed to prevent only the rear wheels from locking up. These rear-wheel-only systems are found on some older pickups and sport utility vehicles. Rear wheel ABS keeps your vehicle from spinning out of control, but you will not have steering control if the front wheels lock up. All other ABS systems-including those for cars and minivans-are designed to keep all four wheels from locking up. If you own a pickup or sport utility vehicle, you can check your owner's manual to see what type of ABS you have.

ABS is designed to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle during emergency braking situations, not make the vehicle stop more quickly. ABS will shorten stopping distances on wet or slippery roads and many systems will shorten distances on dry roads. On very soft surfaces, such as loose gravel or unpacked snow, an ABS system may actually lengthen stopping distances. In wet or slippery conditions, you should still make sure you drive carefully, always keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you, and maintain a speed consistent with the road conditions.

Read your owner's manual for more details on the complete operation and benefits of ABS. The anti-lock brake system is speed sensitive, and the brake system will not activate at very slow speeds. One way to familiarize yourself with the operation of ABS is to test drive the vehicle at a speed above which the ABS activates (usually above 10 mph or 16 km/h) in an unobstructed parking lot and stand on the brakes. This is easier to do on a wet and slippery road surface. The anti-lock system should prevent the wheels from skidding. Pulsation may be felt in the brake pedal and you will hear a clicking sound. Avoid pumping the brake, even if the brake pedal is pulsating.

SEE CHART FOR AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCES

Loss of steering

Loss of steering can occur suddenly and without warning. Something in the steering mechanism or its related components may break, fall off, or jam, leaving the driver with no control of the vehicle's direction.

In such situations, there is little you can do except to apply the brakes to come to a stop as quickly as possible. While applying the brakes, some warning to other motorists and pedestrians may be possible by turning on your emergency flashers, using your headlights, blowing your horn, and using hand signals.

To those accustomed to power steering or power brakes, a malfunction in the system providing the power may lead the driver to think his brakes or steering have failed. If your vehicle is equipped with these power features, and if you suddenly find that steering is more difficult, or the brakes will not respond when you touch the brake pedal, you can still steer and brake. It takes considerably more effort, but it can be done. Proceed with caution until your vehicle is repaired.

Fires

Under the hood or under the dashboard

Fires are generally caused by a fault in the electrical system or by leakage in the fuel system, which may cause raw gas to leak onto a hot engine. When such a fire develops, pull off the roadway just as soon as it is safe to do so. Turn off the ignition, and get out of the vehicle in a safe manner.

Every vehicle should have a fire extinguisher for emergencies. If you don't have an extinguisher, fires in the engine compartment can sometimes be put out by throwing dirt on them. You can also try smothering the fire by using a heavy cloth. Be careful when raising the hood to get at such a fire-use a rag to protect your hand when releasing the hood latch and turn your head aside as the hood is released to prevent facial burns from flashing flames.

Consider the severity of the fire and the risk involved before trying to put it out. If the fire is a major one or is a fuel-fed fire, stand clear of the vehicle and wait for the fire department.

If you don't have a fire extinguisher and there is a passenger with you, have him flag down a passing motorist (especially a truck) who may have a fire extinguisher.

If the fire occurs while you're driving in a city or town, ask a passerby to summon the fire department.

Finally, don't attempt to drive the vehicle until the cause of the blaze is determined and the problem corrected, including any damage caused by the fire itself.

In the rear of the vehicle

Fires in the rear of the vehicle are potentially the most hazardous since most vehicles have their gas tanks in the rear. The biggest danger here is explosion of the gas tank.

If you notice smoke or flames coming from the rear of your vehicle, immediately pull off the road to a safe spot. Get all passengers out of the vehicle and remain at a great distance from it. Warn motorists and passersby of the danger, and have someone call the nearest fire department.

Loss of oil pressure

A sudden loss of oil pressure, if not promptly corrected, can result in extensive damage to your vehicle's engine as well as a highway breakdown. Most vehicles have an oil pressure light on the instrument panel. This light comes on as soon as you turn on the ignition. Shortly after the engine starts, this light should go out. If the light doesn't go out when the engine is running, or if it comes on while you're driving, you have trouble. You may not have enough oil in your engine, or your oil pump may be bad and not pumping oil through the engine.

If the oil light comes on and stays lit, the first thing to do after pulling off the road is turn off the ignition and check your oil. If the oil level is at or below the "ADD" or "MIN" mark on the dipstick, add oil before driving the vehicle any farther. A spare can of oil carried in your trunk is ideal for just such an emergency. If this was the problem, the oil light should go out when you restart the vehicle.

It is not advisable to operate the engine with the oil light ON. If there are no abnormal engine noises and if your oil check shows you have enough oil, in an emergency you may cautiously drive, with the oil light ON, a few miles to the nearest service facility but no farther. Get a mechanic to check the vehicle, because something else is wrong. Do this only as a last resort, and if possible have the vehicle towed to the service facility.

Windshield wiper failure

Windshield wipers may fail when you need them most. To lower the odds of your wipers failing, periodically check them. Make sure you have good blades and that they are properly adjusted to conform to the shape of the windshield.

If you have the disappearing type wipers, periodically check the opening to the front of your windshield. Do this more frequently in the fall and winter. Remove leaves, twigs, snow or ice from the wiper recesses and from around the wiper motor shaft and wiper arms. Such obstructions can place a strain on your wiper motor and result in wiper failure.

If you have a failure on the highway (loose wiper, motor ceases to turn wipers, blade flies off), get off the highway (open the window and stick your head out to see, if necessary) and see if you can correct the problem. Some obstruction may be hampering wiper movement, or it may be possible to push a loose wiper arm on the spindle more firmly.

If you find that you can't fix the wipers yourself, wait until the rain or snowstorm has let up, then proceed with caution to the nearest service facility. If it's impractical to wait, you'll have to get help.

Hood pop-up

Failure of hood latch (both primary and secondary) or improper closure of hood and subsequent failure of the secondary latch can result in the hood popping open while you are driving. When the hood opens in this fashion, it will block your view of the road in front of you.

A federal safety standard, which became effective in January 1969, requires that a front opening hood, which in any open position partially or completely obstructs a driver's forward view through the windshield, be provided with a second latch position on the hood latch system or with a second hood latch system. Despite this, hood latch failure can occur and you should know what to do if your hood suddenly pops open while driving.

The first thing to remember is don't panic and don't panic stop. If you apply your brakes suddenly and hard, you may be inviting a rear end collision. Instead, ease the vehicle to the right or left (depending on the lane of traffic you're in and the room you have on either side) and use your limited view from the left window for forward steering reference (you may have to stick your head out the window to look). Also, glance in your rear view mirror to see how much room you have between you and the vehicle behind you. Remove your foot from the accelerator and apply your brakes slowly. Turn on your emergency flashers and give a hand signal to indicate that you are going to stop. After you've signaled drivers to the rear, pull off the road (to the left or the right depending on the type highway and lane you're driving in) and try to remedy your problem.

If, for some reason, you cannot get the vehicle off the highway (for example, if you're driving on a bridge or have a guardrail to the right,), do not leave your vehicle. After traffic has cleared behind you, proceed with caution to the nearest point at which you can safely exit the highway.

A frequent cause of hood popup is the failure to close the hood properly after checking the oil, radiator or battery. Get accustomed to the sound made by your hood when it is closed firmly. Thereafter, if you fail to hear the customary "THUNK" when you or an attendant closes your hood, check the hood before proceeding.

  Submersion in water

Emergencies of this nature are very rare and unpredictable, and speedy and proper reactions by the driver and passengers are critical to survival. If your vehicle goes through a bridge railing, over an embankment into a deep body of water, or is surrounded by flooding waters, the following tips may help you survive:

• Vehicles with their windows and doors closed will float for a few minutes. Don't try to open a door to get out because the water pressure will hold it shut.
• Windows can be rolled down easily, so open the window (windows in case of passengers) and use the opening as an escape route.
• If you have power windows, open them immediately before they short out. If they do short out and won't open, your only recourse is to try to break them out with a heavy hard object. The tempered glass used in modern vehicles is hard to break.
• If you can't open or break a window and must open a door, remember that vehicles with engines in the front will sink nose first. This will push some air to the rear of the vehicle near the roof, helping to equalize the pressure and making it easier to open a door.

Loss of lug nuts on the wheels

If you notice a wobble in a wheel or hear a rattling noise coming from a wheel, especially at low speeds, the problem may be loose lug nuts or a lug nut that has come off the wheel stud and is rattling inside the hub cap or wheel cover. This problem is often caused by improper tightening of the nuts when a tire is replaced, or by faulty lug bolt threads that will not retain the lug nuts tightly.

Take care of such a problem immediately before you lose a wheel. Pull off the road, display warning devices, remove the hub caps or wheel covers, and check the tightness of all the lug nuts. Tighten all the nuts that may be loose. If all the lug nuts are tight, the sound could be caused by a faulty or burned-out bearing. Drive cautiously to the nearest service facility for repairs.

If you've already lost more than one nut from a wheel, borrow one nut (no more) from another wheel so that you can tighten the wheels adequately. Then, at your first opportunity, replace all the missing lug nuts.

If two or more of the wheel studs are too badly stripped to permit tightening of the nuts, leave the vehicle beside the road and get help. Have all faulty lug nuts or lugs replaced as necessary.

Exhaust system failures

There's nothing you can do about a blown muffler or broken tailpipe when you're out on the highway except to get the problem taken care of as soon as you can.

Sometimes a hanger holding your muffler or tailpipe in position can break due to rust and corrosion. The muffler or tailpipe may separate and drag along the pavement. You may be able to hear the dragging noise. You'll also hear the loud engine noise caused by a damaged muffler. When this happens, pull off the road and examine your tailpipe and muffler. Often a temporary fix can be made by pushing the muffler/tailpipe in place or raising it and holding it in place with a piece of wire or a coat hanger.

Wait for the exhaust system to cool down. You can be severely burned if you grasp a muffler or tailpipe while it is hot. Until the exhaust system is repaired, drive with a side window at least partially open to prevent carbon monoxide accumulation in the passenger compartment

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