How to Prepare for Common Vehicle Emergencies

No matter how much you maintain a vehicle, there are accidents that can happen on the road and you need to know how to react when you are in this situation. It is extremely important that you stay alert while driving so that you are aware of everything that is happening around you and you will be able to have an idea when something starts going wrong with the vehicle.

You can always contact emergency towing or repair services like sunburytowing.com.au when you are in a tight spot. But you should have an idea of what is wrong with the vehicle and the basic repairs that you can do until help arrives. One of the things that can happen is that a tyre can blow out and go flat suddenly. This can be rare because tyres today are manufactured to high quality standards. But if you find yourself in this situation, you need to stay calm and hold the steering wheel tightly to make sure that the car is still going straight. Even if you are going at a low speed, it will be hard to control the vehicle so you need to make sure that you don’t make sudden turns. You have to gradually slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator but the brake pedal should only be pressed when you have almost stopped. If you brake right when the tyre goes flat, there is a high chance of an accident or a spinout. Make sure that you stop on the side of the road safely.

When the accelerator of the vehicle becomes stuck, you can check whether you are able to lift it up without taking your eyes off the road. Make sure that your flashers are on so that the other drivers understand there is an emergency. You can also tap the accelerator a couple of times to see if it will work. You need to apply brakes and shift into a neutral gear so that you can slow down the vehicle. If you turn the engine off, you will find it difficult to steer so make sure you avoid doing this. You can turn the ignition off when you come to a complete stop only. The headlights of the vehicle can malfunction and stop working. When this happens, you need to make sure that you keep your parking lights, directional signals and four way flashers alight so that the drivers on the same road as you will understand that you are experiencing a vehicle emergency. You can park on the side of the road so that you can call for emergency services.

If you find yourself with malfunctioning brakes, you need to reduce your speed by shifting to a lower gear. When you understand what is happening, make sure that the flashers are kept on to alert the other drivers. You have to apply the emergency brake carefully. You can also try an uphill slope if you have slowed down considerably helping you reduce your speed further.