Handling Driving Emergencies

Give any help you can if someone is injured. Idaho's Good Samaritan Law protects you from civil liability if you act in good faith. However don't try to move an injured person from a wrecked vehicle unless you have the necessary medical training or there is an immediate danger, such as fire.

What is the "Good Samaritan" law?

Idaho's "Quick Clearance" law requires anyone involved in a crash (on an interstate or major divided highway), that does not cause a death or injury, to safely move the vehicle to a shoulder, median or emergency lane.

What is the "Quick Clearance" law?

When a skid starts, don't panic and don't hit the brake. Immediately take your foot off the gas pedal, then steer in the direction of the skid. For example, if your rear wheels slide to the right, turn your front wheels toward the right. Before traveling on ice or snow, prepare for trouble by practicing stops and skid recovery in a safe place, preferably on private property.

What should you do to recover control of your car when it starts to skid on ice when you are braking to a stop.

Blowouts are usually unexpected and the driver's natural response is to hit the brakes hard. Instead of stomping on the brakes: • Hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the car headed straight down the road. • Ease your foot off the gas pedal, but do not apply the brakes until you have complete control. • When the car is under control, brake gently and pull off the road at the nearest safe location.

While driving down the road, you hear a bang come from a tire and the car suddenly pulls hard to that side. You've had a tire blowout unexpectedly. What should you do?

If your anti-lock braking system (ABS) fails, you may still have normal brake functions.

While slowing down to a stop, your ABS brakes fail. Are you able to stop?

• Pump the brake pedal hard and fast. This may activate the brakes enough to slow you down or stop you. • Shift to a lower gear. • Apply the emergency brake gradually, but be ready to release it if you go into a skid. • If none of the above work, look for something such as an embankment or ditch against which you can slow down. Also look for an escape route across open ground. • Don't drive your vehicle again until the brakes are fixed.

While slowing to a stop, your brakes completely fail. What should you do?

1. Stop as near to the scene as possible without blocking traffic. You may move vehicles that pose a traffic hazard before the police arrive 2. Give any help you can if someone is injured. 3. Exchange information at the scene with the other people involved in the accident, including names, addresses, and driver's license numbers of the other drivers; names and addresses of any people injured; names and addresses of any witnesses; and names, addresses, and insurance policy numbers of the other vehicle owners. 4. Call for police and medical help as soon as possible. You must report to police any motor vehicle accident in which someone is injured or property damage is more than $1,500. A police officer, when present, will help you exchange information with the other drivers.

what must you do if you are involved in an accident?

You must make a reasonable effort to find the owner of an unattended vehicle or other property damaged in an accident in which you are involved. If the owner cannot be located, leave a note telling about the accident, your name, address, and license plate number. You must also notify police if the damage was more than $1,500 or someone was injured.

while looking for space, you accidentally hit an unattended car park at the curb. What should you do?

Running Off the Road Know what to do if the wheels drop off the pavement: • Grip the wheel tightly and steer straight ahead. Stay on the shoulder if there are no immediate obstacles. • Take your foot off the accelerator and apply the brakes gently. • Once you've slowed down, check traffic for an opening and then, when it is safe, steer onto the pavement. Be careful not to oversteer and shoot out across the center line.

A car cuts you off and you had to quickly manuever to the right to avoid being hit. This took you to the shoulder of the road and off the pavement and the car suddenly wants to veer off to the right. What should you do to avoid over-correcting and rolling the car?

To avoid a crash, you have two choices, (1) change direction by steering, or (2) change speed by braking or accelerating. Steering: If you don't think you can stop in time, try to turn out of the way. If possible, stay off the brakes while you turn—you'll have more control. Braking: Many drivers slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. Don't, unless you have anti-lock brakes. Locking your brakes may throw you into a skid and make things worse. Instead, you should pump your brakes hard and fast. You'll have more control and stop faster. Acceleration: When another car is about to hit you from the side or rear, accelerating may soften the impact or prevent the collision.

A car fails to stop and comes out of an intersection in front of you on a slick icy road. You know at the speed you are traveling you won't have enough time to avoid a collision. What should you do?

If you're threatened with a head-on collision and have some time: • Slow down and try to warn the other driver by flashing your lights and honking your horn. • Pull to the right as far as possible. Don't go left. The other driver may recover and hit you broadside. If you can't avoid a collision, steer so the cars will hit at an angle and avoid a head-on crash.

A car is coming straight towards you and you know it will be a head-on collision, but you still have some time to react. What should you do?

No. ABS does not decrease stopping distances.

Does ABS shorten the braking distance?

If you can't avoid a crash, try to protect yourself in the following ways: • The best protection is to properly buckle your seat belt BEFORE you start your trip. Your chance of avoiding serious injury or death is increased if you are wearing your seat belt properly. • If you're about to be hit from the rear and have a headrest, press the back of your head against it. Be ready to brake to avoid hitting cars ahead of you. • If you're about to be hit from the side, be prepared to steer to recover from the impact. • If you're about to be hit from the front and you're wearing a seat belt, use your arms and hands to protect your face.

If you can't avoid a crash, how can you protect yourself?

During an emergency stop that requires hard braking, apply continuous pressure on the brake pedal. Do Not Pump The Brake Pedal as this will defeat the system's design, reduce the effectiveness of the ABS, and increase the distance required to stop the vehicle. • The ABS will activate immediately, allowing you to retain full steering control during hard braking and on slippery surfaces. • During hard braking with ABS, the system actually pumps the brakes for you at a higher rate than you could do yourself. This pumping action causes a noise from the ABS pump motor, and you may feel a noticeable pulse through the brake pedal. • Do not be concerned by the noise and pulsation, because this is normal for ABS. Knowing you will hear the pump motor and feel the pulse will help you resist the natural instinct to remove your foot from the pedal.

If your car comes with ABS how should you stop quickly in an emergency?

Press on the brake pedal as hard as you can without locking the brakes and bring the vehicle to a quick, safe stop. (You may lock the brakes and cause the vehicle to skid if you brake too hard.) • If the brakes lock, you will feel the vehicle begin to skid. Quickly let up on the brake pedal. • As soon as the vehicle stops skidding, press down on the brake pedal again and repeat this press and release cycle if necessary until the vehicle has stopped.

If your car does not have ABS, how should you stop quickly?

Quickly let up on the brake pedal. As soon as the vehicle stops skidding, press down on the brake pedal again and repeat this press and release cycle if necessary until the vehicle has stopped.

If your car starts to skid when you are braking, what do you do to regain control?

anti-lock braking system (ABS). Be sure to read the vehicle owner's manual on how to use the ABS. The ABS may allow you to stop without skidding.

Many newer cars come with ABS. What is that and what does it do?

slow down in advance. Never hit the brakes so hard you lock the wheels or you could lose control of your car.

Slick, wet or frozen roads can cause cars to skid when braking. What should you do to avoid this?

If you're the first one to arrive, you should stop and try to do everything you can to help the victims and call for medical help. . Even if you know nothing of first aid, you can still be of assistance by warning other traffic and sending for medical help. Do what you can, then wait for qualified help to arrive.

You are the first person on the scene of an traffic accident that just occured, and there is serious injuries and people need help. What should you do?

• Keep your eyes on the road. • If you have time, lightly tap the accelerator pedal a few times to see if your engine speed returns to normal. • If tapping fails, try prying it up with your toe. If you don't have time, push the clutch in on a manual transmission or push the gear shift lever of an automatic transmission into neutral and brake to a safe stop. Then turn the ignition off. If you must turn the ignition off before you can stop, DO NOT turn the key to lock, because the steering will lock and you will not be able to steer the vehicle. Also remember that power steering assist and power brake assist do not work when the engine dies— so get a firm grip on the wheel because steering will be harder and it will take more pressure on the brake pedal to stop.

You have completed passing a car, but the gas pedal of your car is sticking and the car is continuing to accelerate. What should you do?

To avoid a crash, you have two choices, (1) change direction by steering, or (2) change speed by braking or accelerating. Steering: If you don't think you can stop in time, try to turn out of the way. If possible, stay off the brakes while you turn—you'll have more control. Braking: Many drivers slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. Don't, unless you have anti-lock brakes. Locking your brakes may throw you into a skid and make things worse. Instead, you should pump your brakes hard and fast. You'll have more control and stop faster. Acceleration: When another car is about to hit you from the side or rear, accelerating may soften the impact or prevent the collision.

You see another vehicle coming head on to you and know they will crash. What actions can you take to avoid or minimize the collision?

If you have recently been in an accident with an uninsured driver and have been unsuccessful in collecting damages, you may request that the driving privileges of the uninsured driver be suspended. After a court judgment has been entered, the department may suspend the driving privileges of the uninsured driver until you have been paid, or for up to six years.

You were involved with an accident caused by an uninsured driver and have been unsuccessful in collecting for damages. What can you do?