Three Car Emergencies and How to Deal With Them
You may be a good enough driver, but what if an emergency situation were to arise? Would you be prepared to deal with it? Would you know what to do? What follows are three common situations on the road that could happen and how to deal with them effectively.
Your Tire Blows Out
If you experience a tire blowout while on the road, the last thing you want to do is try to stop the car right away. In fact, you want to do the exact opposite. Hit the accelerator and steer the car forward. Don't try to pull over right away or anything like that. This could cause you to lose control of the car and spin out. After accelerating for a few moments, ease off the gas but resist the urge to brake. Let your speed reduce gradually. Once you're down to a safe speed of about 30 mph, steer the car to the side of the road. Try to steer toward the tire that blew out. Still don't make dramatic turns. Of course, the best way to deal with this emergency is to prevent it by keeping your tires properly inflated.
Your Throttle is Stuck
In some rare instances, you might have to deal with a stuck throttle in your car. Sometimes a floor mat can cause it to get jammed. If this happens to you, immediate action is required. First of all, tap the brakes. Make sure you're actually pressing the brake, not the gas pedal. Next, switch to neutral or engage the clutch of your vehicle. This will slow the car down and won't cause any damage. Your goal here is to stop the car first and foremost. If none of these efforts work, turn the ignition off. This isn't an ideal option, but it's better than crashing your car! With the key turned off, press the brake and steer normally to keep the car under control.
Your Front Tires Slide
It's normal to panic if the front tires of your car start to slide. This usually happens because modern cars are designed to keep the back tires firmly planted onto the ground. If this happens to you, the best thing you can do is take your foot off the gas but don't brake. Resist the urge to steer because you'll likely over steer, especially if the traction comes back suddenly. Keep the car going in the same direction it was previously going in and be patient. The traction will come back.