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Kansas driving lesson · Avoiding Collisions & Emergencies

Vehicle emergencies

A 4-minute lesson from the Kansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Avoiding Collisions & Emergencies
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
75, 76

Following the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual greatly reduces breakdowns, but any car can fail. Knowing the right first move for each failure keeps a problem from becoming a crash.

Brake failure:

  • Rapidly pump the brake pedal several times to build pressure
  • If that fails, use the parking brake slowly so the rear wheels don't lock; release it if you skid
  • If that fails, find a safe place to slow to a stop, off the roadway
  • Don't keep driving without working brakes
Handbook p. 75 ↗

Know the rule

Tire blowout: a front tire makes the vehicle pull sharply toward the blown tire; a rear tire makes it wobble, shake and pull somewhat toward it.

Handbook p. 75 ↗

If a tire blows out or goes flat:

  • Grip the wheel firmly and keep the vehicle going straight
  • Take your foot off the accelerator and slow down gradually
  • Don't brake; let the vehicle slow by itself, or brake gently if necessary
  • Pull off the road in a safe place, not on the road, and turn on flashers
  • Have the tire changed and replaced
Handbook p. 75 ↗

Power failure (engine shuts off):

  • Keep a strong grip; the wheel may be hard to turn, but it will turn
  • Shift to neutral and look for an escape path
  • Brake with steady pressure, not hard; slow down and pull off
  • Try to restart; if it won't, raise the hood, turn on flashers and call for help
Handbook p. 75 ↗

Accelerator failure (broken spring or stuck pedal):

  • Shift to neutral and look for an escape path
  • Steer smoothly, brake gently and pull off the road
  • Turn off the vehicle and have the pedal repaired before driving again
Handbook p. 75 ↗

Know the rule

If your wheels drop off the pavement edge, avoid panic steering. Ease off the accelerator, brake gently (not hard), steer straight and slow to 25 mph or less.

Handbook p. 76 ↗

Know the rule

Straddle the pavement edge. When there's a gap in traffic from all directions, turn the wheel about one quarter-turn to get back on. DO NOT OVERSTEER; then steer back to your lane.

Handbook p. 76 ↗

Know the rule

If traffic is heavy and the shoulder is wide, drive fully onto the shoulder and stop, then wait for a large gap. If you can't get back on, pull as far from the road as possible and wait for help.

Handbook p. 76 ↗
25 mph or less

Speed to slow to before steering back onto the pavement from a drop-off

Handbook p. 76 ↗

Put it into practice

On the highway your front left tire blows and the car jerks left. Hold the wheel firmly and keep it straight, lift off the gas, and don't brake hard. Let the car slow, then pull off in a safe place and turn on your flashers.

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, what is the first thing you should try?
  1. Turn off the engine
  2. Steer directly for the nearest roadside
  3. Immediately shift into neutral
  4. Rapidly pump the brake pedal several times

Answer: Rapidly pump the brake pedal several times

Pumping the brake pedal rapidly can build up enough pressure to stop the vehicle before resorting to the parking brake.

Handbook p. 75 ↗
If pumping the brakes doesn't work during a brake failure, what should you try next?
  1. Shifting into neutral
  2. The parking brake, applied slowly to avoid lockup
  3. Turning off the ignition
  4. Pumping the accelerator

Answer: The parking brake, applied slowly to avoid lockup

If pumping fails, use the parking brake carefully, applying it slowly so the rear wheels don't lock and cause a skid.

Handbook p. 75 ↗
If a front tire blows out, how will the vehicle typically react?
  1. It will pull toward the opposite side
  2. It will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout
  3. It will wobble but not pull
  4. It will slow down with no pull

Answer: It will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout

A front tire blowout causes a sharp pull toward the side of the blowout, while a rear blowout causes more of a wobble and shake.

Handbook p. 75 ↗
If the engine shuts off while driving (power failure), what should you do first?
  1. Shift into park
  2. Turn on the hazard flashers
  3. Continue braking hard until stopped
  4. Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel

Answer: Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel

The steering wheel becomes harder to turn without engine power, so maintaining a strong grip is the first priority before shifting to neutral and finding an escape path.

Handbook p. 75 ↗
If your accelerator pedal gets stuck in the down position, you should:
  1. Shift to neutral and search for an escape path
  2. Press the accelerator harder to break it loose
  3. Turn off the vehicle immediately while moving at speed
  4. Pump the accelerator repeatedly

Answer: Shift to neutral and search for an escape path

Shifting to neutral removes power to the wheels safely, letting you steer to an escape path before pulling off and turning off the vehicle.

Handbook p. 75 ↗
If your wheels leave the pavement onto a lower shoulder, what should you avoid?
  1. Easing off the accelerator
  2. Jerking the steering wheel to return to the pavement quickly
  3. Slowing all the way down to 25 mph or less before returning fully
  4. Gently applying the brakes

Answer: Jerking the steering wheel to return to the pavement quickly

Panic steering — trying to jerk back onto the pavement immediately — can cause you to lose control; slow down gradually first.

Handbook p. 76 ↗
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