Driving Tips > Safety Columns
When brakes or headlights fail you
Suddenly losing your brakes or headlights may be the stuff of driving nightmares but such emergencies do occasionally happen. It’s best to think these situations through so you can be prepared.
Loss of braking
If you experience
a sudden loss of
braking, put on your
hazard lights to alert
other drivers. Downshift
to use engine compression
to slow your vehicle.
Try pumping the brake pedal
to restore braking power.
If that
doesn’t work, pump your parking
hand-brake while releasing the lock
mechanism. (Simply jamming on
the hand-brake may cause you to
lose control due to locking wheels.)
If you have a pedal parking brake,
depress it gradually.
Then prepare for the worst. Select a safe path while slowing if you can. If a collision with a vehicle is likely, steer toward a “forgiving” object like a guardrail, or roadside snow or bushes. A side collision may be less dangerous than a head-on crash.
If your lights go out
If both headlights fail, try to recall the road as you last saw it. Activate your hazard lights, reduce speed and turn your headlight and dimmer switches on and off several times in case it’s just a loose connection.
If your lights don’t come back on, check for traffic and select a safe path to move as far off the roadway as possible. Set up flares, flashing lanterns or reflectors. If the lights come back on, drive to the nearest service station.
An ounce of prevention…
Check cable connections, fuses and switches periodically. Never drive with one burnt-out headlight – it’s dangerous and illegal.
Have your brakes inspected regularly, and check the brake fluid level.
For more information, watch The 60-Second Driver on CTV, or view the following driving tips in this section on our website:
- Brake Failure in Driving Tips
- Anti-lock Brakes in Driving Tips
- Headlights in Driving Tips
- You can access the 60-Second video on Brake Failure directly
