Roadwise States District of Columbia Driving lessons Brake, pedal, steering & light failures District of Columbia driving lesson · Weather & Emergency Situations
Brake, pedal, steering & light failures A 3-minute lesson from the District of Columbia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Weather & Emergency Situations
Checkpoint questions 5
Source pages 32, 33 Equipment failures are rare but terrifying. Knowing the exact steps ahead of time turns panic into a plan.
If your brakes fail: Try pumping the brake pedal (non-ABS systems) If that doesn't work, use the emergency (parking) brake Shift to a lower gear, if possible If necessary, rub the sides of the tires against the curb Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
ABS pumps the brakes much faster than you could to prevent lockup. When it engages you hear a rumble and the pedal vibrates. Press down hard, hold it, and steer where you want to go.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
Don't take your foot off the brake while ABS is engaged. Removing steady pressure or pumping turns off the ABS. Practice ABS stops in an empty parking lot.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
After driving through deep water, test your brakes; they may pull to one side or not hold. Dry them by driving slowly in low gear and braking lightly.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ 200 feet How often to test wet brakes until braking returns to normal
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
If your windshield wipers fail in bad weather, open the window, put your head out, drive off the roadway and STOP.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ If your accelerator pedal sticks: Slap the accelerator pedal hard with your foot Shift to neutral Apply the brakes Pull off the roadway and stop Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
If steering fails, ease off the gas. If the car stays in its lane, wait until it slows, then brake gently. If it heads off the road or toward a person or vehicle, brake quickly with maximum pressure.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
Never turn the ignition to "lock" while moving. The steering will lock and you will lose control.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
Headlights fail: on a lighted highway, get onto the shoulder quickly and safely. On a dark highway, try parking lights, signals or flashers and get off. If all lights fail, stay on the road and slow enough to pull off safely.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ Put it into practice
Your gas pedal jams at highway speed. Slap it hard with your foot. If it stays stuck, shift to neutral, brake, and steer off the roadway to stop.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
If your brakes fail and pumping the pedal does not restore braking, what should you try first? Turn off the engine immediately Use the emergency (parking) brake Shift into neutral Shift into a higher gear Answer: Use the emergency (parking) brake
If pumping fails to restore braking, use the emergency/parking brake, and shift to a lower gear if possible.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ After driving through deep water, how often should you test your brakes until normal braking returns? Every 10 feet Every 1,000 feet Every 200 feet Only once, after fully drying Answer: Every 200 feet
Test wet brakes every 200 feet, driving slowly with light braking, until they return to normal.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ If your accelerator pedal sticks, what is one of the first recommended actions? Pump the brake pedal Turn the ignition to lock Shift into a lower gear Shift to neutral Answer: Shift to neutral
For a stuck accelerator: slap the pedal, shift to neutral, apply the brakes, and pull off the roadway.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ If your windshield wipers fail during a storm, you should keep driving at normal speed with the window down. True False Answer: False
If wipers fail, open the window, drive off the roadway, and stop.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ When your vehicle's ignition is turned to the 'lock' position while still moving, the steering wheel can lock and you can lose control. True False Answer: True
Never turn the ignition to 'lock' while moving, as it can lock the steering wheel.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Previous lesson Fog & night driving Next lesson Fire, wrong-way cars, trains & running off the road More in Weather & Emergency Situations About the source Roadwise’s District of Columbia course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 32, 33. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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