A couple of weeks ago my friends and I were having a conversation about some of the crazy encounters that we’ve had or are likely to face on the road and with some of the comments and points people were putting out, I thought that it might be wise to give guys a couple of tips on what to do if one is ever in such driving emergencies. One thing I must point out is that these are just suggestions and in some situations, there is little you as a driver can do but hang on and hope. However these tips might just help lessen the possibility of an accident.
Blowout/ Tire Burst – This is one of the most common encounters that a driver will face especially on a highway and can easily throw your ride out of control. In most cases, your car usually gives you some warning such as a thumping from one of the wheels usually caused by the tire bulging; a pull on the steering wheel due to rapid pressure loss.
When the burst happens, hold tightly to the steering wheel, let go of the accelerator and just try steering straight ahead until the car comes to a halt. DO NOT at any point BRAKE UNTIL YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I know you may be wondering how am I supposed to do that but trust, the last thing you want to be doing is locking up your wheels at cruising speed.
Brake Failure – Again your car will let you know that something is wrong. You will feel the brake pedal become spongy and it might just continue sinking to the floor after you have stopped applying pressure. If the problem is serious, your car will give you a warning on the dash.
If the pedal just sinks all the way to the floor, try pumping the pedal to build up some pressure. If this doesn’t work, slowly pull up your E-brake or handbrake. DO NOT PULL IT UP AT ONCE. You will end up locking your wheels and skidding out of control (unless you’re a drift champion).
Slowly pulling up the E-brake will increase your stopping distance but trust, you will stop. One can also try downshifting or switching off the car (if on an open road) and the engine will slow you down. This however will cause you to lose the power steering.
Loss of a wheel – This is pretty much similar to a blow out. The warning signs are also pretty much the same as a tire burst and the same rules apply to this situation. Remember DO NOT BRAKE until the car has slowed down and you are back in control.
Vehicle trying to pass you - This is one of the nastiest habits Kenyan drivers have on the road. They will always speed up when they see someone is trying to overtake them. This is very nasty and can get the other driver and his/her passengers killed or can get you killed. Remember it’s not only the lives of you and your passengers in your hands but also those of other drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.
If there is a car trying to overtake and the guy is far enough to pass but you notice oncoming traffic, you can slow down and let the person complete the pass quicker.
If you see that the overtaking car cannot make it and the driver needs to get back into the lane quickly, you can speed up so that there is enough room for the driver to enter behind you.
If it appears that an accident is almost certain and the road is wide enough, you can move over to the left and allow the overtaking car to enter your lane.
As I mentioned earlier, remember it’s not only the lives of you and your passengers in your hands when driving but also those of other drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.
Drive safe and remember to buckle up!!
1 comments:
i'm glad to have never had to deal with any of the experiences listed here, except for the twat drivers trying to overtake when they don't have enough road or power to make it past me safely.. :)
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