Stopping in an emergency

In normal conditions, a good driver shouldn’t need to brake really hard.

However, emergencies can happen – for instance, when a child runs into the road in front of you – so you must know how to stop quickly under control. Stopping in an emergency increases the risk of skidding.

Remember, even when stopping quickly, follow the rule of progressive braking – pushing the brake pedal harder as the vehicle slows down.

A quick reaction is crucial in an emergency. The sooner you start braking, the sooner you’ll stop!

Practise the following routine

• Keep both hands on the steering wheel. You need as much control as possible.
• Avoid braking so hard that you lock any of the wheels. A skid may cause serious loss of control.
• Don’t press down the clutch pedal until just before you stop. This helps with your braking and stability. For vehicles fitted with ABS, read the owner’s manual. The manufacturer may advise a different technique to get the best out of its system.
• Don’t use the parking brake while the vehicle is moving. Most parking brakes work on the back wheels only. Extra braking here can cause skidding.

Unless you’re moving off again straightaway, put the parking brake on and the gear lever into neutral.

If it’s safe, practise braking to judge the correct pressure and remember to take into account road and weather conditions.

If the road is dry you should apply firm pressure, but on a wet road or loose surface you should avoid using too much. This means you’ll need to reduce speed and increase your separation distance from the vehicle in front.

When braking in an emergency

• Don’t signal – you need both hands to control the steering.
• Don’t make a special point of looking in the mirror – if you’ve been using your mirror regularly you should know what’s behind.
• Stop as quickly and safely as possible, keeping your vehicle under full control.
• Look all round before moving off again.

Defensive driving

• Try to avoid the emergency arising.
  • Look well ahead.
  • Watch for children playing.
  • Remember school times.
  • Look out for pedestrians.
  • Look for clues, such as reflections.
• Always drive at such a speed that you can stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear. If it’s not clear, slow down.
• Prepare for the unexpected.

Anti-lock braking systems

If your vehicle is fitted with ABS brakes, the system activates automatically under conditions of harsh braking.

ABS employs wheel-speed sensors to anticipate when a wheel is about to lock under extreme braking. Just before the wheels begin to lock, the system releases the brakes momentarily before automatically reapplying them. This cycle is repeated several times a second to maximise braking performance, sending a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal. You may find this a little disconcerting the first time it occurs and you may be tempted to respond by relaxing the pressure on the brake pedal. However, it’s important that maximum pressure is maintained.

ABS doesn’t necessarily reduce your stopping distance, but because the wheels are prevented from locking you can continue to steer – something you wouldn’t be able to do if the wheels were locked. Reducing the pressure or pumping the brake pedal reduces the effectiveness of the system. The pressure on the brake pedal must be maintained until the hazard is safely avoided.

Knowing ABS will help you stop safely shouldn’t encourage you to drive less carefully. ABS can’t overcome the laws of physics; it’s still possible for one or more of the tyres to skid because of

• poor road contact
• surface water
• a loose road surface.