Special Driving Situations (Ch 5)

Driving Emergencies, Crashes, Green driving (>)

Skidding

• Remove foot from gas pedal, shift to neutral

• Do not hit the breaks

• Turn steering wheel in direction of skid

• May need to steer right and left a few times to get in complete control

Running Off the Pavement

• Hold steering wheel tightly and slowly remove foot from gas pedal

• Gently brake

• Check for traffic and steer back onto the road

Flat tire, blowout, or wheel loss

• Hold steering wheel tightly and slowly remove foot from gas pedal

• Gently brake

• If you begin to skid, turn in the direction of the skid

• Gently straighten car, don’t brake until you're in control of the car

• Pull off the road as soon as safe

Brake failure

Antilock brakes (ABS - Antilock brake system)

• Downshift to a lower gear

• Apply parking brake gently. Hold the brake release in case the car starts to skid

• If you cannot slow down, sound horn nd flash lights to warn others

No antilock brakes:

• Pump the brake pedal several times rapidly to build up brake fluid pressure

• Do not pump antilock brakes

• If this does not work, follow antilock brakes procedure

Stuck gas pedal

• Shift to neutral and press the brake pedal

• Try to free the gas pedal with foot

• If gas pedal doesn’t release, reapply brakes

• Eyes on road; when safe pull car to the side of the road

Vehicle approaching head-on

• Slow down and pull to the right

• Sound horn to alert other drivers

Stalling on railroad tracks

Stalls on railroad tracks and train is coming:

• Get everyone out of the vehicle immediately and move as far from the tracks as possible

• To avoid being hit by wreckage, run in a 45 deg angle away from the tracks in the direction the train is coming, then call 911

Stalls on railroad tracks and train is not coming:

• Roll down window/open door to listen for train

• Try starting engine, if it won't start shift to neutral and try to push car off tracks

• If you can't move car from the tracks, call Emergency Notification System (ENS) #, located in the middle of the crossbuck or metal box near crossing. 

  • Also call ENS if you see anything sus along a railroad

Car catches fire

See smoke coming from under vehicles hood

• Pull off road, turn off ignition, and move away from car

• Call fire dept or emergency services

• Do not try to fight the fire unless you have an extinguisher 

Vehicle drives into water

• Unfasten seatbelt and escape through a window

• If you have power windows, open them quickly before water causes them to stop working

• Do not open door. Would cause water to rush in and car could flip over

If car sinks before you get out, climb into the rear seat, as an air pocket may form there. When car settles, escape through a window

Breakdows

Move car to the side of the road and stop

• Never park where others cannot see you (hill, curve).

Once car is parked and you are still inside:

• Turn on hazard lights. At night, also turn on interior lights in the car

• Locate your safety vest and put it on, locate warning triangles or LED flares (if you have them)

Setting up safety equipment 

• Tie a white cloth to your antenna or door handle (red if its snowing)

• Raise the hood

• If you stopped on a divided highway, place your warning triangles/LED flares 

  • 10ft behind your car 

  • 100 ft behind your car

• If you stopped on a two-lane road carrying traffic in both directions or on an undivided highway, place warning triangles/LED flares

  • 10 ft behind car

  • 100 ft behind car

  • 100 ft in front of car

Property Damage only

• Move vehicle off the road, if possible

• Exchange name, address, driver's license #, vehicle registration, and insurance info with all drivers or property owners involved. 

• If you damaged a parked vehicle or other property, you must try to locate owner to report crash or notify local police

• Withing 5 days of the crash, you must file a crash report with both the RMV and the local police dept. Must report any crash with $1,000 or more property damage

Crashes involving injuries

• Check for injuries, call police and request ambulance/EMTs if necessary

• Move vehicle off the road, if possible

• Exchange info

• File report withing 5 days

• Notify insurance company

Crash reporting

Must report a crash if:

• Someone is injured

• Someone died

• Property damage exceeds $1,000

Within 5 days, send a report to

• Local police

• Insurance company

• RMV

Just reporting to insurance company is not enough

Hit and Run

• Never leave the scene, could be criminally charged with “leaving the scene”

• May face fines, jail, license suspension, insurance subcharges 

Green Driving

• Every 5 mph driven above 60mph increases fuel consumption by 5%

• MA idling law → max 5 minutes

• Hard acceleration/braking can increase fuel use by 40% while reducing travel time by only 4%.

• Tire pressure → up to 3% benefit per tankful of fuel