What to do if brakes fail at speed: possible causes and solutions

When driving in driving schools, future drivers do not talk much about critical and emergency situations that may arise. Hence the huge number of accidents with unfortunate consequences that could have been avoided. Let's see what to do when the brakes fail in the car. It is worth a little practice, and even beginners can stop the car in emergencies.

Causes of failure of the brake system

The most important reason is the break in the main line, through which the working brake fluid circulates. Such cliffs occur because of strong impacts by stones, because of raids on the curbs, due to heavy wear and tear. As you can see, there are many possible reasons for this problem, and the effect is one - the brakes failed. Due to a pipeline break, the working fluid will flow out of the system, and the cylinder will not be able to squeeze the pads. Also, the master brake cylinder often fails. Whatever the reason, the main thing in this situation is not to panic or lose self-control. There are effective ways to stop the car in emergencies.

General recommendations

Let's consider what to do if the brakes fail at speed. This is necessary and important information. There are several options for reducing the speed without the need to use the parking brake. Many in this situation grab for the handbrake, but in a panic few people think that it can lead to skidding or even overturning.

Before starting the procedure for emergency braking, it is recommended to press the pedal several times strongly and sharply. If there is no regular ABS in the car, these actions will allow creating the necessary pressure in the system. This will help when the brakes failed due to a pipeline break. Maybe the air just got into the system. Also, it is not uncommon for an object to fall under the brake pedal - it can block the pressure. Specialists recommend in such situations not to muffle the motor. If you need to stop immediately, and the road section is small, you can put the car into a skid right up to the exit into the ditch or hit about any obstacle. This is justified when there are pedestrians or various dangerous objects in front of the car.

Let's use the engine

If the brakes of the car fail, you can try to stop it using the transmission system. This is one of the most popular and safest methods of reducing speed. This procedure is carried out by including lowered transmissions. The engine braking is not only as safe as possible under all road conditions, but also with proper actions will not cause a skid. When performing this operation, you need to remember a few basic nuances.

Do not include low gear very sharply. Such actions can provoke slipping of the driving wheels and thereby increase the risk of skidding. The lower the transmission, the more sharp the car will be.

How to brake the engine on the manual gearbox

If the brakes failed, but there is an MKPP, you can effectively stop. But you need to use the engine correctly. To reduce the risk of skidding, you need to switch only one gear down. It is not necessary to include the third with the fifth transfer. When moving on the fifth, the fourth is turned on and waiting for the moment when the car will twitch and then turn on the third. When the car starts to twitch at the first, only then it is possible to muffle the engine. If the truck is refused brakes, then this approach does not help. The loaded car very well untwists the motor, and speed reduction will not occur. Also there is a "perehazovka" - this should be remembered for the owners of Soviet cars. In ordinary situations, when switching to low gears, the driver waits until the speed decreases to turn on the lowered. But in emergency situations, there is no expectation. Therefore, after turning off the gear, you must press the gas to align the turns and then switch gears. So we will reduce the "peck", which is very harmful for the elements of the engine and transmission.

Deceleration of the engine and automatic transmission

On cars equipped with automatic transmissions, you can perform the same actions. For this, the automatic transmission is switched to the manual control mode. If it is absent in this model, then the lever is shifted to the position of the third or second gear. This is to force the car, although slowly, but reduce the speed of movement. You can also set the automatic transmission for parking. But with the failure of brakes, this approach will be effective only if the distance is small, and it is necessary to brake at all costs. In this case, the automatic transmission will be blocked. There is a serious possibility that the machine will go into a skid, and the mechanism of the automatic box will be broken and it will have to be thrown away. But it's much better and cheaper than someone's life.

How to brake rear gear

This is another way to make an emergency slowdown to a halt. This is braking by turning the reverse gear on. In real life, this method can not be used - the method is fraught with the complete replacement of the clutch kit and other transmission parts. However, this method does not always work if the brakes fail. Efficiency in many respects depends on the condition of the checkpoint and its type. Some modern gearboxes are equipped with special locking mechanisms that prevent the rear gear from turning on when the machine is moving forward. On the more simple gearbox, the rear speed can be switched on. For this, release the clutch and press the gas. The effectiveness of braking depends on the speed of the machine, as well as the engine power. Often after this, it is necessary to change not only the clutch, but also the entire power part - the gearbox and the engine. Also, this braking can cause accidents. The car can be brought to the roadside or to the center of the roadway, to the oncoming lane. In addition, cars moving behind will not be able to stop as quickly as you do.

This method provides for the establishment of an emergency situation on the road, after application, the engine and the gearbox become unusable. What should I do if the brakes fail at speed? Let's consider all nuances in more detail.

How to brake the engine urgently

In the case of automatic transmission and manual transmission, the engine can be switched off along with the transmission. However, this method is recommended to be used only in the most difficult cases. If you try to brake this way, then the machine can get into a skid. The method also provides for the inclusion of a transmission as low as possible.

Use the handbrake

Also, along with the methods already described, there is one more. It provides for the use of a handbrake. If the reason why the brakes failed did not lead to the failure of the handbrake, then you can use it. But we must remember that there is a certain risk of falling into a skid. The best result, allowing you to stop as quickly as possible - combining braking with a motor using the so-called handbrake. When the car starts to decelerate due to the low gear engaged, tighten the parking brake and go to a complete stop. It is important before the whole procedure to press the mechanism button and do not release it. If the wheels lock, this will prevent the car from getting into the skid.

How to slow down the obstacles

What if the brakes refused and the car does not want to stop, and you are moving in the stream? If there is not enough room for braking, then you should try to brake about any obstacle. This is the most extreme case. Most professional drivers recommend stopping not by direct frontal impact, but by a tangent to this obstacle. This will allow you to reduce the speed, and the damage while this will be minimal. At high speed, this method can save lives.

Do not slow down about the obstacle next to which there are people. In the event of an imminent collision, the machine is guided so as to hit the front car with a bumper. This allows you to extinguish the speed, and also reduce the damage for both cars.

How to slow down on mountain roads

In the mountains it is worth remembering that in front of the sharp turns there are special pockets for an emergency stop. It is worth saying that often in such places fall into the accident of beginners. They think that the brakes will not fail on the descent, but with their active use it is on the descent and the entire system goes out of order. Usually beginners brake the pedal instead of the transmission. As a result, jam pads on one of the axles. Therefore, in such cases, we necessarily use a lower gear and, if necessary, call on the "catching" pocket. This is the only way to safely stop without serious damage.