What to Do if You Experience Brake Failure in Gary, IN

Trying to come to a stop while driving before realizing that your brakes are out is a scenario that no driver wants to deal with. The good news is that as long as you take care of your brakes and have them inspected regularly, this should never happen. But what if it does? Do you know what to do? If not, keep reading. This post will teach you exactly what to do in the event of brake failure in Gary, IN:

• Stay calm: This one is obviously easier said than done, but try to stay calm behind the wheel. Panicking only makes the situation worse, and can lead to a collision or other disaster.
• Carefully engage the emergency brake: The emergency brake is your best friend in this scary situation. The key thing to remember is that you need to be careful when using it. Applying it too quickly can cause you to slide out and lose control of your vehicle. The next time you get in your car, do a double check to ensure you know where the emergency brake is located. It’ll most likely be either a hand-activated lever next to your driver’s seat or a small pedal on the floor to the left of the gas and brake pedals.
• Slowly downshift: If you have a vehicle with a manual transmission, slowly downshift to the lowest gear. This will naturally slow your engine down, and could even help you come to a complete stop.
• Get off the road: Do whatever you can to get to the side of the road. Don’t hesitate to use your horn, flash your lights and put your hazard lights on to try to alert drivers that your brakes are out and that you’re pulling off to the shoulder.
• Keep your car running until you’ve stopped: At first, it may make sense that turning off your vehicle would bring the car to a complete stop. However, that’s not the case! Turning off the engine will also turn off the power steering, making it difficult (if not impossible) to pull over to the side of the road.
• Call a tow truck: You’re obviously not going anywhere any time soon without properly functioning brakes, so you should call a tow truck to get you off the road and back to safety. Keep in mind that you should stay in your vehicle until a tow truck or emergency vehicle arrives at the scene. Getting out of your vehicle is always a bad idea on a busy road.
• Bring your vehicle to a pro: Finally, bring your car to a mechanic. A professional will be able to inspect your brakes and tell exactly what went wrong that caused them to fail. Once the mechanic determines the cause of failure, he can fix it so your vehicle will be back up and running in no time.

Routine inspection and maintenance should help to ensure that you never have to deal with the possibility of brake failure in Gary, IN. Be sure to bring your car to Miller Brakes and Mufflers, Inc. and let us have a look at your brakes!

Categorised in: Brake Failure

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