1. CHAPTER 13
HANDLING EMERGENCIES

2. CHAPTER 13 HANDLING EMERGENCIES 13.1 VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS
13.2 DRIVER ERRORS
13.3 ROADWAY HAZARDS
13.4 COLLISIONS

3. TIRE FAILURE BLOWOUT: when a tire has a sudden loss of air pressure.
Grip wheel firmly
Ease off accelerator, do not brake!
Check traffic, gain control
Drive off slowly, brake gently
Turn on flasher, stop in safe location
TIRE FAILURE

4. CHANGING THE TIRE
Park on level ground, shift to park and turn on hazards
Set parking brake
Block wheel diagonally opposite flat tire
Ask passengers to get out
Spare tire, jack, and lug wrench
Position jack under vehicle
Jack up part way, flat tire should touch the ground
Remove wheel cover, loosen lug nuts
Jack up until tire is off ground
Remove lug nuts and wheel
Put spare on
Tighten lug nuts
Lower to ground, tighten lug nuts again

5. TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE Pump brake pedal Downshift
Gradually apply parking brake
Search for open zone

6. BRAKE FADE When brakes overheat and lose their effectiveness
Stop the vehicle and let the brakes cool off

7. ACCELERATOR MALFUNCTIONS
BROKEN SPRINGS
Accelerator pedal will be flat on the floor
Shift to neutral
Hazards
Brake safely off the road

8. ACCELERATOR MALFUNCTIONS
STUCK ACCELERATOR
Kick side of accelerator to try and free it
Apply brake
Choose escape path
Shift to neutral
Turn off ignition once off the roadway

9. ENGINE FAILURE Shift to neutral Move out of traffic
Try to restart engine while moving
Raise hood and flashers on

10. FLOODED ENGINE Hold accelerator to floor while starting
Turn ignition and hold for a few seconds
Try again in a few more seconds

11. OVERHEATED ENGINE Turn off air conditioner Turn on heater
During stops shift to neutral
If temp light stay hot, move off road, stop car and raise hood

12. TOTAL STEERING FAILURE
Use horn and flashers
Stop quickly and safely
Use p-brake “on-off-on-off”
Shift to lower gear

13. POWER STEERING FAILURE
Occurs when engine dies
When steering fluid is low
When drive belt slips or brakes
Steering still works but you must use more force

14. LOSS OF VISION HOOD FLIES UP Slouch down, look trough crack under hood
Or roll down window look where you are going
Turn on hazards, pump brakes
Slow down, drive out of traffic

15. LOSS OF VISION HEADLIGHTS FAIL
Turn on right signal to light escape path
Immediately slow down and stop
Try dimmer switch, parking lights, and hazards
Move to safe location

16. LOSS OF VISION SPLASHED WINDSHEILD Snow, slush, water, mud
Turn on wipers immediately
Slow gradually maintain path until regain sight

17. VEHICLE FIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE Steer off turn off car
Passengers 100 feet away
If fire is large - Do not try to put fire out
If fire is small use A-B-C extinguisher

18. VEHICLE FIRE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FIRE
Usually caused by careless match use or smoking
Pull off and extinguish

19. STALLS ON RAILROAD TRACKS
Try and restart if no train is coming
Passengers out
Shift to neutral and push off tracks
If train is coming, move away in direction train is coming

20. DRIVER ERRORS DRIVING OFF THE ROAD
When front wheel leaves edge of roadway
Many fatal collisions because drivers brake and suddenly return to roadway

21. OFF ROAD RECOVERY
Hold wheel firmly, let up on accelerator, do not brake fast!
Straddle roadway
Select place where shoulder is close to roadway level
Signal mirrors and blindspot
Steer sharply and counter steer quickly to straighten

22. EMERGENCY SWERVING Last second means of avoiding a collision
Only when braking will not prevent collision
Speeds over 30MPH you can usually swerve in less distance than you needed to stop

23. STOP VS. SWERVE DECISION
Must be sure open zones
Must know your speed and vehicle abilities

24. EXECUTING EMERGENCY SWERVE
Identify escape path
Grip wheel firmly as you steer
Use same rhythmic motion to steer and counter steer

25. Speed and distance As speed increases the less time you have
HOW SHARPLY TO SWERVE
Speed and distance
As speed increases the less time you have

26. ROADWAY HAZARDS POTHOLES Avoid them if possible
If not slow down to prevent tire damage
Try and predict where it will be the most shallow

27. ROADWAY HAZARDS SHARP CURVES Brake gently as you enter
Half way through look ahead and start to accelerate gently

28. ROADWAY HAZARDS OBJECTS ON THE ROAD Check traffic
Decide whether to straddle or swerve around object
Drive over an object only as a last resort
You may not know what is inside and object!

29. VEHICLE IN DEEP WATER
OPEN WINDOW THAT IS MOST OUT OF WATER
UNFASTEN BELTS AND CHECK PASSENGERS
EXIT PROMPTLY THROUGH OPEN WINDOW
IF WINDOWS ARE STUCK WAIT UNTIL PRESSURE EQUALIZES AND THEN OPEN DOOR

30. COLLISIONS MINIMIZING EFFECTS OF COLLISION
NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE
STEER FOR SOMETHING SOFT
IF CHANCE FOR ANOTHER COLLISION, GET EVERYBODY OUT AND SAFELY AWAY

31. HEAD ON COLLISIONS BRAKE HARD BUT DO NOT LOCK UP TIRES
BLOW HORN AND FLASH LIGHTS
STEER RIGHT TOWARD SHOULDER, DO NOT STEER LEFT!

32. SIDE-IMPACT COLLISIONS
BRAKE OR ACCELERATE QUICKLY, WHICH EVER LESSEN IMPACT INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT
BLOW HORN
CHANGE LANES OR SWERVE AWAY FROM IMPACT
BE AWARE OF TRAFFIC AROUND YOU

33. REAR-END COLLISIONS FLASH BRAKE LIGHTS CHECK FOR OPEN ZONES
IF INTERSECTION IS CLEAR ACCELERATE TO GIVE SPACE
IF UNAVOIDABLE, RELEASE BRAKES JUST BEFORE IMPACT TO LESSEN

34. IF YOU HAVE COLLISION STOP IMMEDIATELY
AID TO INJURED, NEVER MOVE UNLESS THERE IS THREAT OF ANOTHER COLLISION
PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE
SEND FOR POLICE
EXCHANGE INFORMATION

35. ADDITIONAL STEPS RECORD WITNESSES NAMES AND ADDRESSES
GIVE POLICE JUST FACTS
FILE NECESSARY REPORTS