Imagine driving down the highway you see that up ahead you will be hit some traffic so you hit your brakes to slow down and nothing happens. Whether you’re going 65 miles per hour or 30 miles per hour it doesn’t matter this can be one of the scariest things you’ll ever face behind the wheel of your vehicle. I hope you never have to experience this situation, but let’s face it life can throw us some curveballs and it’s better to be prepared than to not be. SO here are some tips that will help you get your car to stop in this scary situation.

Don’t Panic:

• I know that sound kind of stupid but the truth is freaking out with only make the situation more dangerous. Stay focused and freak out after you’re safely out of your car.

Take your foot off the gas pedal and turn off cruise control:

• The point in this situation is to de-accelerate so do not hit the accelerator! Cruise control should go off as soon as you touch the break but just to be sure, turn it off.

Pay attention to how your brake pedal feels:

• If it’s soft and goes to the floor, you may have low fluid, a faulty master cylinder or problems with your drums or calipers. You may be able to rebuild some braking pressure by pumping the brakes
• If your brake pedal is hard and does not move, something in your brake system may have seized or you may have an obstruction under the pedal. Try to feel with your foot or look to see if you have something under the brake pedal.

Pump your brakes;

• Pumping your brakes several times may rebuild enough pressure in the braking system for you to stop. This may take a while, so keep trying.

Shift into low gear:

• Shifting into lower gears helps slow you by using your engine to slow the car. If you have an automatic transmission, downshift a gear at a time into low range. If you have a manual transmission, downshift a gear or two at a time.

Use the emergency brake:

• Using the emergency brake can usually bring your car to a stop but it will take longer than usual to come to a stop because it only stops the rear wheels.

Keep your eyes on the road and continue to steer.

• Pay attention to what’s in front of you, and maneuver to avoid heavy traffic, pedestrians, and dangerous obstacles

Warn other drivers and pedestrians

• Turn your hazard lights on, and honk your horn to make others aware that there is a problem.

If you have room on either side of you, steer sharply from side-to-side

• Turning creates friction, which slows your car naturally. If you do not have brakes, try turning sharply from left to right over and over to slow your car down

Use your surroundings to slow the vehicle

• Do whatever you can to get under control. Use terrain to your advantage, Use guardrails to slow your vehicle, Use road friction to slow your vehicle, Small trees and shrubbery will slow your vehicle when all else fails.

Look for a safe spot to pull over:

• The safest method is to look for bushy protrusions or shrubs and run it through the friction will significantly reduce car speed to a halt