How to Handle a Vehicle Emergency: Blowout, Brake Failure, and Skid

Tire blowout: hold the wheel and ease off

A blowout is sudden and loud, and the car will pull hard toward the side of the failed tire. The instinct is to slam the brakes, but braking hard during a blowout can throw the car into a spin. Instead, grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands and keep the car pointed straight down your lane.

Ease your foot off the gas and let the car slow gradually. As your speed drops, steer gently toward the shoulder or a safe spot off the road, then brake softly once you are slow and stable. Put on your hazard lights, get well away from traffic, and change the tire only if you can do it safely away from moving vehicles, or call for help.

Brake failure: downshift and pump

If your brake pedal sinks to the floor or the car will not slow, do not panic. First, pump the brake pedal quickly several times, which can sometimes build up enough pressure to slow the car in vehicles with certain brake systems. Keep trying as you work through the other steps.

At the same time, shift to a lower gear, or move an automatic into a lower range, to let the engine help slow you down. If pumping does not restore the brakes, apply the parking brake slowly and steadily, not all at once, since yanking it can cause a skid. Steer toward an open area or use gentle rubbing against a curb or uphill grade to scrub off speed, sound your horn and flash your lights to warn others, and aim for the safest place to coast to a stop.

• Pump the brake pedal firmly and quickly
• Downshift to a lower gear to use engine braking
• Apply the parking brake slowly and steadily, not all at once
• Steer toward an open, safe area and warn other drivers

Skids: steer where you want to go

A skid happens when your tires lose traction, often on wet, icy, or gravel surfaces, or from braking or turning too hard. The core rule is the same for most skids: take your foot off the brake and the gas, and steer smoothly in the direction you want the front of the car to go. This is often described as steering into the skid.

Avoid sudden, large steering inputs, which can make the car swing the other way. If your car has anti-lock brakes (ABS) and you need to brake during a skid, apply firm, steady pressure and let the system pulse the brakes for you, rather than pumping. The best defense against skids is preventing them: slow down before curves and in bad weather, and brake gently.

Stuck accelerator: shift to neutral

If the accelerator sticks and the car keeps speeding up, the fastest way to cut power to the wheels is to shift into neutral. The engine may rev loudly, but the car will stop accelerating and you can then brake normally and steer to the side of the road. This works in both automatic and manual vehicles.

Do not turn the engine off while moving at speed, because that can lock the steering and disable power assist for the brakes and steering. Once you are safely stopped in neutral, then turn the engine off, put on your hazard lights, and get the vehicle inspected before driving it again.

Stay calm and get off the road safely

Across all of these emergencies, the priorities are the same in order: keep control of the car, reduce speed gradually, and get off the travel lanes to a safe place. Avoid the two panic reactions that cause most emergency crashes, slamming the brakes and jerking the wheel, because both can send the car out of control.

Once you are stopped safely, turn on your hazard lights, and if you are on a highway shoulder, exit the vehicle on the side away from traffic and move behind a barrier if there is one. Use reflective triangles or flares if you have them. Then call for assistance and have the problem diagnosed. Knowing these responses in advance is what lets you act calmly instead of freezing when seconds count.