Vehicle emergencies pt. 2

Protect Yourself In Collisions

Try everything you can to keep from getting hit. However, you may not always be able to avoid a collision. If it looks like nothing will work, try to lessen any injuries that could result from a crash. The most important thing you can do is to use your lap and shoulder belts. Besides your safety belts, there are a couple of other things that could help prevent more serious injuries.

Turning quickly with ABS

A valuable feature of ABS is that you can turn your vehicle while braking with less or no skidding. Warning: Do not "jerk" the steering wheel (steer violently) while braking if you have ABS. Doing so may send you farther to the side than intended, because the vehicle will continue to respond to steering input while ABS is working. Practice using ABS in an empty parking lot so you know how the vehicle will respond.

Dealing With Skids

Any road that is safe under normal conditions can be dangerous when it is wet or has snow or ice on it. High speeds under normal conditions also increase the possibility of a skid if you must suddenly turn or stop. Skids are caused when the tires can no longer grip the road. Because you cannot control a vehicle when it is skidding, it is best to keep your vehicle from skidding in the first place.

Leaving Your Vehicle on the Roadside

Contact the nearest law enforcement agency if your vehicle breaks down and you must leave it for any period of time. Be sure to get it off the roadway and onto the shoulder so it is out of the way of other traffic

Gas Pedal Sticks

If the engine keeps going faster and faster: - keep your eyes on the road. - quickly shift to neutral. - pull off the road when safe to do so. - turn off the engine.

Turning quickly without ABS

If you do not have ABS, you must use a different procedure to turn quickly. You should step on the brake pedal, then let up and turn the steering wheel. Braking will slow the vehicle, put more weight on the front tires, and allow for a quicker turn. Do not lock up the front wheels while braking or turn so sharply that the vehicle can only plow ahead. Remember... generally it is better to run off the road than to crash head-on into another vehicle. Do not swerve into the opposing lane; turn to the right, going off the roadway if necessary.

Hit From the Rear

If your vehicle is hit from the rear, your body will be thrown backwards. Press yourself against the back of your seat and put your head against the head restraint. Be ready to apply your brakes so you will not be pushed into another vehicle.

Turning Quickly

In most cases, you can turn the vehicle quicker than you can stop it. You should consider turning in order to avoid a collision. Make sure you have a good grip with both hands on the steering wheel. Once you have turned away or changed lanes, you must be ready to keep the vehicle under control. Some drivers steer away from one collision only to end up in another. Always steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go.

Stopping Quickly

Many newer vehicles have Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Be sure to read your vehicle owner's manual on how to use ABS. ABS will help you stop with less or no skidding by keeping the wheels from locking up. In general, follow these guidelines if you need to stop quickly.

Avoiding Collisions

When it looks like a collision may happen, many drivers panic and fail to act. In some cases they do act, but they do something that does not help to reduce the chance of the collision. There is almost always something you can do to avoid a crash or to reduce the impact of a crash. In avoiding a collision, you have three options: stop, turn or speed up.

What should you do when you need to stop quickly and your vehicle does not have ABS?

a. Apply the brakes as hard as you can and keep pressing the pedal. (b.) Apply the brakes but stop before the brakes lock up. c. Apply the brakes until the vehicle starts to skid and keep applying them. d. Use intermittent braking.

Where should you turn if your vehicle starts to skid?

a. Away from the skid. (b.) Into the skid. c. Let the vehicle steer itself. d. Try to keep the wheel straight.

Which of the following statements is true about making quick turns when your car is equipped with ABS?

a. It is always better to turn into oncoming traffic than to turn off the road. b. Turn the wheels in the direction opposite the one you want to go. (c.) You can turn while you are braking with little to no skidding. d. You should only steer when you do not have the brake pedal pressed.

Which of the following statements is true about making quick turns when your car is not equipped with ABS?

a. It is always better to turn into oncoming traffic than to turn off the road. b. Turn the wheels in the direction opposite the one you want to go. c. You can turn while you are braking without skidding. (d.) You should only steer when you do not have the brake pedal pressed.

What should you do when you need to stop quickly with ABS?

(a.) Apply the brakes as hard as you can and keep pressing the pedal. b. Apply the brakes but stop before the brakes lock up. c. Apply the brakes until the vehicle starts to skid and keep applying them. d. Use intermittent braking.

The term "kinesthetic" sense refers to the ability to sense:

(a.) any change in vehicle speed. b. the speed the vehicle is presently traveling. c. the total kinetic energy of the vehicle. d. all of these.

To steer your vehicle straight ahead, you should make small steering corrections, using both hands and:

(a.) look far ahead, target the center of your lane and move the wheel and hands together.? (c) b. maintain the steering wheel in the same position. c. use the preceding vehicle as a guide and use hand-over-hand steering to correct.? d. use the traffic lane markings as a guide and correct using the one hand steering technique.

Without ABS:

- apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking them (you can cause the vehicle to go into a skid if you brake too hard). - you will feel the vehicle start to skid if the brakes lock up. If that happens, quickly ease off the brake pedal a little. - as soon as the vehicle stops skidding, push down on the brake pedal again. Keep doing this until the vehicle has stopped.

With ABS:

- press on the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep pressing on it. You will feel the brake pedal pushing back when the ABS is working. You will also hear the noise ABS makes when it is working. - do not let up on the brake pedal. ABS will only work when the brake pedal is pushed down hard and held there.

Hit From the Front

If your vehicle is about to be hit from the front, it is important to try to have a "glancing blow" rather than being struck head on. This means that if a collision is going to happen, you should try to turn the vehicle. This will help to avoid a head on collision. If your vehicle has an air bag, it will inflate. It will deflate following the crash, so be ready to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else.

Hit From the Side

If your vehicle is hit from the side, your body will be thrown toward the side that is hit. Air bags will not help in this situation (although a few vehicles now have side-impact air bags which will help). Your lap and shoulder belts are needed to help keep you behind the wheel. Get ready to steer or brake to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else.

Speeding Up

Sometimes it is best or necessary to speed up to avoid a collision. This may happen when another vehicle is about to hit you from the side or from behind and there is room in front of you to get out of danger. Be sure to slow down once the danger has passed.

If your vehicle begins to skid

Stay off the brake. Until the vehicle slows, your brakes will not work. Using them could cause you to skid more. Steer. Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the vehicle to go. As soon as the vehicle begins to straighten out, turn the steering wheel back the other way. If you do not do so, your vehicle may swing around in the other direction and you could start a new skid. Continue to steer. Continue to correct your steering: left and right: until the vehicle is again moving down the road under your control.

What should you do to protect yourself if your vehicle is about to be hit from the front?

a. Keep your foot off the brake. b. Press yourself against the back of your seat and put your head against the headrest. (c.) Turn your vehicle to create a "glancing blow". d. All of the above.

While backing a car, you should see clearly in the direction your car is moving. What is the BEST way to do this?

a. Turn your head and shoulders and look backward. b. Use both the inside rear-view and outside rear-view mirrors as needed.? c. Use the inside rear-view mirror, moving your eyes as needed to see better. d. Use the outside rear-view mirrors, moving your eyes as needed to see better.

The greatest advantage of ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) is:

a. a shorter stopping distance. b. the ability to lock the brakes without skidding. (c.) the retention of steering control under hard braking. d. all of these.

The driver can affect the balance of the vehicle, causing a weight transfer, by:

a. applying the brake pedal. b. pressing on the accelerator pedal. c. turning the steering wheel. (d.) all of these.

Thrust acceleration - a firm push on the accelerator to elicit an immediate increase in torque and acceleration (kickdown) - should be used:

a. for passing maneuvers and entering freeways. b. in some emergency situations to put space between you and the hazard. c. to climb a steep hill. (d.) all of these.