Take deep, controlled breaths to help slow your heart rate. If possible, breath in through your nose and out through your mouth until you feel in control.
Use your mirrors to identify other cars around so you can find the shortest route to the breakdown lane without risking an accident. Look for pedestrians on the side of the road or in upcoming crosswalks. Consider the type of road you are on. Are there breakdown lanes? Are there guard rails that may prevent you from pulling over right away?
Do not attempt to use your left foot, as you may need to transition to braking quickly. You will be able to do so with your right foot faster if your left hasn’t gotten in the way. If the pedal comes up freely without affecting the RPMs of the vehicle, the gas pedal assembly is not the issue.
At high speeds, simply pressing the brake likely won’t bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Be aware that some vehicles may pull to the left of right under hard braking. Keep both hands on the wheel as you attempt to stop a slow moving vehicle by applying the brake.
The emergency brake should only be used to stop a vehicle in an emergency that includes total brake failure. Using the emergency brake can cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
With the clutch pedal pressed to the floor, the engine will no longer be powering the wheels. Be sure to look behind you before slowing down dramatically to avoid being struck by an approaching vehicle.
Neutral is almost always the gear directly above drive in automatic vehicles. You should not have to push the button on the shift lever to shift from drive to neutral.
Most newer vehicles will only allow you to shift the vehicle from drive to neutral while moving.
If you cannot get the vehicle into neutral, you may need to turn off the engine to stop accelerating, but it should be seen as a last resort. If you turn off the engine, be prepared for your steering to become extremely difficult.
You should make sure you know where the hazard flashers button is in your vehicle before encountering an emergency so you don’t have to look for it. If you are unsure where to find yours, look it up in your owner’s manual at some point when you are not driving the vehicle.
If possible, look for a place you can leave the car for a little while, as it will be unfit to drive until it has been repaired. Breakdown lanes, rest stops and parking lots are all better alternatives to the side of the road when available.
Holding an engine at “redline” for an extended period of time can cause significant damage to the vehicle. Redline can be identified by the range of RPMs indicated on your tachometer with a red bar. Your vehicle may have come equipped with an RPM governor that will prevent the engine from being over-revved. If the vehicle’s RPMs are surging and dropping repeatedly, it is likely because of the governor.
Vehicles equipped with start/stop ignition buttons are designed to prevent you from accidentally shutting off the vehicle while driving. Holding the button down for three full seconds sends a message to the computer that you want it to override that safety feature.
If law enforcement arrives and asks you to move the vehicle, explain the issue you had to them and they can help get a tow truck to you quickly. Remember that it is illegal in many places to leave an unattended vehicle on the side of public road, particularly if it is in an unsafe place.
