Deadly Driving Hazards (and how to survive them)

YOU LIFT YOUR FOOT off the gas, but your car surges ahead as if it has a mind of its own. An approaching car swerves into your lane and comes straight at you. A tire blows out, and the steering wheel
pulls violently in your hands. In each of these cases, what you do — and don’t do — next can make the difference between a simple scare and a disaster.

Runaway engine
On August 28, 2009, California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor was driving with his wife, daughter and brother-in-law aboard. Suddenly the car began to accelerate. Their desperate 911 call was of no avail. All four died in a fiery 120-mph crash.

The problem behind “unintended acceleration” may be a mechanical glitch or simply a floor mat bunched up against the gas pedal. Whatever the cause, stopping is easy if you know how.

With an automatic transmission, shift into neutral. With a manual, step down on the clutch pedal. The engine will race, but the car will stop accelerating. Don’t turn off the ignition while the car is moving, or braking and steering will require much greater effort.

Wrong-way driver
This is one of the most hair-raising situations you can face. The driver who’s about to ram you head-on may be asleep, distracted, drunk, sick or even suicidal. In that instant, it doesn’t matter. Brake hard and lean on the horn. Steer toward the right—off the pavement, if necessary. Don’t steer left: The oncoming driver may swerve back at the last instant. Avoid a head-on crash at all costs. If you must hit something, aim for shrubs, a parked car, anything that gives.

Tire blowout
My niece Jill was driving to college in Connecticut when construction debris blew out one of her tires. She slammed on the brakes, and her car spun around and rolled over three times. Only her safety belt saved her from serious injury.

If you have a blowout, stay off the brakes. Keep your foot steady on the gas, grip the wheel firmly and concentrate on steering. When you have the car under control, gradually lift off the gas.

No brakes
Today’s cars have dual brake systems, so total brake failures are very rare. In case of a malfunction, the brakes on at least two of the four wheels should still work. But stops will take longer and will require more pedal effort.

Pumping the brake pedal rapidly and hard may build up enough pressure for a four-wheel stop. If necessary, shift into a lower gear so the engine slows you down. You might damage the transmission, but that’s better than crashing. As a last resort, scrub off speed by sideswiping a wall or parked cars—whatever it takes to slow down.

Hydroplaning
You’re driving on a wet road, maybe a little too fast, when the steering suddenly feels eerily light. What has happened is that a thin wedge of water has actually lifted your front tires off the pavement, as your car glides ahead as if on ice. To regain control, ease off the gas. That will shift some of the car’s weight onto the front tires and squeeze out the water underneath. Then, slow down.

Whether you drive a Hummer or a hybrid, knowing what to do — and what not to do — in an emergency is the key to survival.

Alex Markovich was the auto editor at Consumer Reports before he retired. His articles have appeared in many publications.

-- Costco Connection, April 2013