roadwise.Open study app

Pennsylvania driving lesson · Parking and Emergencies

Stuck accelerator, brake failure and blowouts

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

Study this lesson in the app Back to the course
Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Parking and Emergencies
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
66, 67

Mechanical failures are rare but frightening. Having the steps memorized lets you act instead of freeze. The two big themes: keep steering control (never turn the key to LOCK) and avoid sudden braking that causes a skid.

If your accelerator sticks

  • Keep your eyes on the road; tap the pedal or lift it with your toe, but never reach down with your hand
  • If it stays stuck, shift to neutral immediately and brake; the engine races but the wheels lose power
  • Steer and pull off the road once slowed; stop, turn off the engine and turn on your flashers
Handbook p. 66 ↗

Know the rule

If you must slow or stop quickly, turn the ignition to OFF, not LOCK, which would cost you steering; then brake. Steering and braking take more effort with the ignition off.

Handbook p. 66 ↗

Know the rule

Newer vehicles have a split braking system. If the brake warning light comes on, you may have braking on two wheels (probably one front, one rear): the pedal goes down farther, you must push harder, and stopping distance increases. A lower gear helps you slow.

Handbook p. 66 ↗

If an older vehicle's brakes suddenly fail

  • Shift to low gear and look for a place to slow to a stop
  • Pump the brake pedal quickly several times to build pressure
  • Use the parking brake; hold the release so you can let off if the rear wheels lock
  • Steer to a safe, open place or into an uphill road
  • Last resort: ignition OFF (not LOCK), then shift to your lowest gear
Handbook p. 67 ↗

Know the rule

A front tire blowout makes the steering wheel vibrate and the car pull suddenly to one side. A rear blowout drops one corner and makes the rear wobble back and forth.

Handbook p. 67 ↗

If a tire blows out

  • Hold the steering wheel tightly
  • Stay off the brake; braking after a blowout causes a skid
  • Slowly take your foot off the gas
  • Steer smoothly where you want to go; brake gently only if needed and let the car slow
Handbook p. 67 ↗

Know the rule

Prevent blowouts with well-kept, properly inflated tires. You can ride on a flat as long as needed to reach a safe spot, fully off the road, before changing it.

Handbook p. 67 ↗

Changing a flat tire (check your owner's manual)

  • Park on a flat surface as far from traffic as possible
  • Set the parking brake; chock the front and rear of a good tire
  • Pry off any hubcap; loosen (don't remove) the lug nuts while the car is on the ground
  • Jack under the frame or suspension until the tire is about 6 inches off the ground
  • Remove the lug nuts and flat tire; mount the spare and hand-thread all lug nuts
  • Snug the nuts lightly, lower the car (leave the jack in place), then tighten to spec
  • Stow the jack, tire, tools and safety equipment
Handbook p. 67 ↗

Put it into practice

At 55 mph you hear a bang and the steering wheel shakes as the car pulls right. Grip the wheel, keep your foot off the brake, ease off the gas, and steer smoothly to the shoulder as the car slows.

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 you have a tire blowout, what should you avoid doing?
  1. Holding the steering wheel tightly
  2. Slowly easing off the gas pedal
  3. Steering smoothly toward a safe stop
  4. Slamming on the brakes

Answer: Slamming on the brakes

Braking hard after a blowout can cause you to skid and lose control.

Handbook p. 67 ↗
If your accelerator sticks, what should you do first?
  1. Keep your eyes on the road and try tapping the pedal
  2. Immediately turn off the ignition
  3. Pull the emergency brake hard
  4. Shift into park

Answer: Keep your eyes on the road and try tapping the pedal

First try tapping the pedal or lifting it with your toe while keeping your eyes on the road.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
If your accelerator remains stuck after tapping it, what should you do next?
  1. Pump the gas pedal hard
  2. Shift to neutral and use the brakes
  3. Continue driving until you find a mechanic
  4. Pull the key out of the ignition

Answer: Shift to neutral and use the brakes

Shifting to neutral removes power from the wheels while you brake to slow down.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
If you must stop quickly due to a stuck accelerator, what should you avoid doing with the ignition?
  1. Turning it to 'OFF'
  2. Applying the brakes at the same time
  3. Turning it to 'LOCK'
  4. Shifting to neutral first

Answer: Turning it to 'LOCK'

Turning the ignition to LOCK (versus OFF) will also lock your steering, which is dangerous.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
If your brake warning light comes on due to a split brake system, what will you likely need to do?
  1. Nothing different; braking will feel completely normal
  2. Use only the parking brake from that point on
  3. Pump the parking brake repeatedly
  4. Push the pedal down farther and harder than usual

Answer: Push the pedal down farther and harder than usual

With a partial brake system failure, you'll need more pedal travel and pressure to stop.

Handbook p. 66 ↗
On an older vehicle, if your brakes suddenly fail completely, what should you try first?
  1. Shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal quickly
  2. Turn the ignition to LOCK immediately
  3. Turn the ignition OFF right away
  4. Pull the parking brake hard first

Answer: Shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal quickly

First downshift and try pumping the pedal, which may build enough pressure to stop.

Handbook p. 67 ↗
Take the lesson checkpoint in the app

More in Parking and Emergencies

All Pennsylvania lessons