The Met Office has predicted snow in November across the UK, and while the snowy weather might make for extra cosy nights curled up on the sofa, it can be particularly harsh on our vehicles. As the weather gets colder and wetter, our brakes, in particular, can become more susceptible to damage like rust or freezing.
In the colder, wetter seasons, drivers should check their brakes more frequently to ensure their car has optimum braking power on wet or icy road surfaces.
However, new research from Dick Lovett can reveal that a whopping 3 in 10 (30%) drivers admit to not performing safety checks on their car’s brakes. That’s the equivalent of over 12.4 MILLION* drivers at additional risk of potentially life-threatening brake malfunctions.
And while most modern cars will be fitted with sensors to warn you when something isn’t quite right or needs to be replaced in your brake system, technology can fail, so it’s vital drivers carry out thorough safety checks on their brakes ahead of the winter weather. Or have a professional check them over.
As such, to help drivers remain as safe and prepared as possible for winter brake malfunctions, the experts at Dick Lovett have pulled together the 8 steps drivers should take if their brakes fail. See below:
Don't Panic
Remaining calm and quickly – but efficiently – working your way through the below steps is vital if your brakes fail while driving.
In even the best of driving conditions, keeping a clear and cool head is the key to success. So, it’s in the best interest of yourself and other road users that you engage your ‘fight mode’, rather than your ‘flight mode’.
Come off the accelerator and check for any obstructions
While this might go without saying, it’s important to come off the accelerator completely. When your brakes fail, your goal is to slow down and get out of the way of other traffic as quickly and safely as possible.
If the road is clear and you have enough time, it’s important to check underneath your brake pedal for any obstructions. Car floor mats can wedge behind the brake pedal, meaning you can’t press it down fully.
Try the handbrake
Once you’ve begun engine braking, you’ll want to try your car’s handbrake. You can think of it as your ‘emergency brake’.
It can slow your car because it works separately from your car’s regular hydraulic brakes.
If your normal brakes fail, to help your car slow down while downshifting through the gears, you can slowly pull up on the handbrake to come to a complete stop.
If you have a newer vehicle, the parking brake might be engaged using a button, in which case you won’t be able to gradually brake using this option. It’s important to read your operating manual to know exactly how to emergency brake for your vehicle.
Downshift your gears…slowly
It’s important to remember that if your brakes fail, you should not shift to neutral. Instead, you’ll want to downshift through the gears normally. This is known as ‘engine braking’, and it’s important to do this slowly as suddenly going from a high gear, like sixth, right down to first will cause a whole host of other mechanical issues.
In fact, drivers might want to consider using engine braking in non-emergencies too, as it can help to reduce wear on your vehicle’s braking system as it isn’t using the friction of your brake pads and discs.
While drivers of manual cars should hopefully be able to stop their vehicles using gear braking, there’s still the question of what to do if brakes fail in an automatic car.
Our previous tip about off the accelerator is particularly important for drivers with automatic vehicles, as coming off the accelerator should automatically cause your car to shift to lower gears. Similarly, newer automatic vehicles will have paddle shifters (usually located on the wheel) that allow drivers to manually change the gear the car is in.
Engage your hazard lights
When your car is malfunctioning, it’s vital to turn on your hazard lights and signal to other drivers that something is wrong with your vehicle. You can also signal your horn to notify other drivers.
While doing this might not allow other drivers to fully understand that your brakes have failed, it will let them know that there’s a problem, so they can make the necessary manoeuvres that you’re not able to make to avoid collisions and road traffic accidents.
Don’t turn off your car
It might seem logical to turn off the car to disengage the engine from pushing the car forward, but you should avoid doing this if your brakes fail.
Turning off your ignition will typically shut down your power steering, which means your car will be more difficult to turn or even lock the steering wheel into place. Depending on where your brakes have failed, this could potentially be lethal.
Steer yourself to safety
As your vehicle slows, it’s crucial to steer yourself to the safety at the side of the road, or up an incline slip road.
It’s much safer to stop at the side than in the middle of the road for the sake of yourself and other drivers.
Use crash barriers (if all other brake options fail)
If your brakes fail while you’re driving on a motorway or bypass, it may be necessary for you to use the crash barriers to avoid colliding with another car. You can scrape the side of your car along these to slow down.
While it’s unlikely that one of the methods above won’t help to slow your vehicle, it’s useful to have this in your mind as a last resort to bring your vehicle to a halt.
Statistics from a Dick Lovett survey of 1,000 British drivers (aged 18+) between 21st and 24th Oct 2024 conducted by 3Gem.