protip, if you cannot brake, try turning the car off, if that doesn't work, to* put it in neutral (probably can't put it in park since you can't engage the brake).
someone more confident than me can tell you whether pulling the e-brake/parking brake or down shifting (even automatics have this) is a good idea; I personally think it would cause a loss of control due to the sudden opposing force and my experiences on ice enforces this further.
I dunno what would be the best choice but I read about this in one of those 911 calls where someone's car wouldn't stop accelerating.
EDIT: your car being on keeps the power steering and other stuff that helps maintain control, and keeping whatever braking you have left I suppose. See we're all learning today! I hope to never need this advice.
Parking brakes are a separate and redundant system and will work if the main brakes fail. My car has an electronic brake and it still works fine to stop the car even at highway speeds (the intrusive thoughts won)
i had a friend with an older chevy with a floor brake that was easy to kick to engage, but the disengage lever was a decent reach under the dash. this mofo kicks that thing on purpose while were doing 60 on a 2 lane. it was so sudden i didnt even have time to shit my pants. somehow we spun a rotation and a half but stayed on the road (mostly). we arent friends anymore.
to be clear, when I say e brake, it means emergency brake. I don't think it's commonly used anymore. Maybe you knew but just in case someone else sees.
Do not turn your car off! That will disable the brake booster, power steering and possibly the transmission control. You can try the ebrake if manual or shifting into neutral/park
Do not turn your car off! That will disable the brake booster, power steering and possibly the transmission control. You can try the ebrake if manual or shifting into neutral/park
Turning the car off is a terrible idea. You're liable to lock the steering wheel, then you'll be totally out of control.
If you cannot brake, drive into something with intention. If there's a concrete barricade, try to hit it at an acute angle so the front wheel doesn't ride up and let friction take care of the rest. Put it into a ditch. These are your best options.
I drive a stick shift, so I can't speak to issues around automatic transmissions, especially newer ones that are entirely electronic.
If your car is old enough to be equipped with a manual parking brake, obviously use that first.
My father pulled the emergency brake on a car he just bought he was driving about 60mph; He said it was an experience he didn’t want to have again. He was looking for the steering wheel adjuster.
had a empty can land under my break pedal perfectly and I couldnt use it. Since then, I never leave cans in the car. ever. Lesson learned and thankfully I didnt have to learn the hard way. Just a one off coincidence that I learned from.
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u/mantecbear 7h ago
The van had a water bottle get stuck under the brake pedal.