What to do if your brake fails while driving

External Since: Aug 28, 2005 Posts: 8

Excuse a newbie, but if the brakes fail on a car that you were driving,
is it safe to:
1. Use the handbrake (even if lightly)
2. Put the car is reverse till it slows down and move to N?

What else could one do?

Joined: Jul 28, 2005 Posts: 205

A number of things can be done. Sometimes it happens so fast a person can't think straight enough to avoid disaster though.

The first thing to do is pump the brake pedal because the failure is likely a broken line, seal, or master cylinder. Pumping may re-establish a brake pedal enough to stop. Look for an alternate path to steer safely at the same time you are pumping the brake pedal.

Apply the emergency brake to the maximum possible. You won't get much braking in any case so you want all you can achieve.

You could try putting the transmission in reverse with an automatic. Chances are it won't do anything unless its a very very old transmission design. Same with putting it in park. The parking pawl would merely break right off anyway. There would be no braking. (A 50's Ford-O-Matic could be placed in reverse at any speed and would cause braking. Touching the gas would lock the wheels, even reverse them if going slowly enough.)

Steering into a curb at a slight angle would use your tires for braking until the tires burst. Hold the steering wheel tightly in this maneuver. You could also use a guard rail gently or bushes or mud and high grass.

Hopefully, you will never have this problem or will be able to coast to a stop.

PS. If you are in traffic you should sound your horn to warn people.