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Top 10 Tips To Survive Driving Emergencies - Part 1

Most of us have gone through various kinds of driving emergencies, and while some are equipped with the information needed to sort things out, some are not. For those who do not know how to deal with such situations, we bring to you tips for overcoming a number of driving emergencies. The basic rule of all driving emergencies forbids you from panicking. In the first part, we will tell you how to deal with tyre failures and stuck throttles.

Emergency #1: Tyre Blow out

In most cases of tyre blow outs, you should try to drive straight ahead rather than to slow down quickly and get off the road. With a rear tyre failure, if you try to turn at high speed, it will likely result in a crash.

Here is what exactly you should do. Put pressure on the accelerator for a few seconds. This will not only put in control of the car, but will also direct the car straight down the road. It will also prevent you from braking and turning. After a couple of seconds, gently release the accelerator pedal.

Then gently allow the car to slow down, and if the situation demands lightly press the brakes to reduce the speed. Engage your turn signal and turn towards the side of the road that is on the same side as blown out car tyre. This reduces your chances of losing control and also makes the tyre change safer.

Most of the highway blow out and tread separation happen while the car is being driven in a straight line on a hot day at high speed, aided by an under inflated tyre. And the repeated flexing of an under inflated tyre cause the failure, so make sure to check your tyre pressure regularly.

Emergency #2: Tread Separation

A tread separation is a dangerous business to deal with. In case of a tread separation, the tread rubber and underlying steel belt partially or completely come off the tyre. This will create a big Weed Eater with a blade of steel-backed rubber spinning around at about 1,000 rpm. It will cut through the fuel tank, brake lines, inner fender panels, rear seats and side windows.

An upcoming tread separation is often accompanies by a consistent thumping noise, which later becomes a slapping sound, and then a metal-tearing jackhammer pounding. While sometime this process may take days, at other times it may happen as fast as a few seconds.

In case the tyre begins to fly off, here is what you should do. Squeeze the gas pedal lightly for an instant and release it gently. Drive straight down your lane. Allow the car to coast down as much as possible. Lightly engage your brakes and smoothly turn towards the side of the road same as the damaged tire.

Emergency #3: Stuck Throttle

A case of stuck throttle may happen to you due to various reasons such as loose floor mats, and badly placed racecar throttle cable. This may not be a very common occurrence for most drivers, nevertheless if your engine starts racing away uncontrollably;it needs to be stopped immediately.

Here is what you need to do. Put the transmission in neutral (and/or push in the clutch). You need not worry about the e engine when get into neutral: engine speed limiters on cars will prevent any kinds of damage to the engine. And it is completely fine if the car starts to reverse. The engine will either halt or act as if it was in neutral.

If you can't bring the car to neutral, switching off the ignition will be your last resort. Some of the cars these days do not allow the key to turn to the locked position if the car is not parked, and it will more difficult to steer the car once the engine if off. But with the engine off, you will still have a lot of reserve braking power to stop the car. But unfortunately if your car has a keyless ignition, getting the car in neutral will be your only solution.

And if the engine started accelerating when you were pushing the brake, release the brake pedal. If the engine miraculously stops, then there are chances that you were accidentally pushing the acceleration pedal rather than the gas pedal.

Emergency #4: Sudden Acceleration

We all remember the recent Toyota recall storyof unintended acceleration. Unintended acceleration is nothing but the same as stuck throttle; the only difference is that it is not a mechanical flaw, but rather a situation where the driver presses the accelerator pedal. In every car that has been maintained well, the brakes have the capacity to overpower the engine. And if you push the brakes with all your might, the car will stop even if it is going full speed. You must follow the same tricks as that of a stuck throttle, in case you find yourself in a situation of sudden acceleration.