Emergencies

 Dealing with various emergencies:

• Yield your right of way when it helps prevent crashes.
• Inertia is the primary reason why safety belts are important. (An object in motion tends to stay in motion).
• When a vehicle is equipped with air bags, the safest position for any child restraint is in the middle of the back seat.
• When properly adjusted, head restraints provide the most protection when a vehicle is struck from behind.
• Air bags are designed to supplement safety belts, not replace them.
• Air Bags that are not in proper operating condition will show a continuous warning light.
• If the temperature light comes on while you are driving, it usually means the engine temperature is above a safe level.
• The best time to address distractions that can affect driving is before driving begins.
• The best way to keep from getting involved in emergency situations is to continually scan for hazards.
• Defensive driving requires that you predict points of conflict with other vehicles; that is, where your vehicle's path might cross with that of another vehicle.
• Perception distance is the distance your vehicle travels from the time the eyes see a hazard to the time the brain knows it is a hazard.
• The 4-second rule is used to estimate your total stopping distance under ideal conditions.
• The instant you see a conflict ahead, you should look for an escape path.
• Remember that you can almost always steer around a hazard more quickly than your can stop.
• Be prepared to yield your right of way in order to prevent a crash.
• If sudden brake failure occurs, try rapidly pumping the brake to regain hydraulic pressure.
• If your vehicle's brakes fail completely, you may be able to stop safely by slowly applying the parking brake.  Practicing an emergency stop in a parking lot before a real emergency takes place is a great idea.
• If the left front tire blows out while you are driving, your vehicle will pull sharply to the left.  Your first response should be to maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel.  This is especially true for the front left tire, which could pull you into oncoming traffic.
• To avoid a collision with a vehicle that appears will hit you in the side, you should brake or accelerate quickly.
• In a vehicle that has anti-lock brakes (ABS), you should apply the brakes fully. If you do not have ABS, pivot your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal and press firmly, stopping just short of locking the wheels.
• If you must leave the roadway at high speed and no open space is available, you should steer toward a soft object.
• You must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle by driving to the right edge of the road and stopping.
• You must move over to give an extra lane of space when passing a police officer, emergency responder, tow truck, etc.  If you cannot move over, slow down to a safe and prudent speed.
• Doubling the speed of a vehicle quadruples the energy in a crash.
• When your vehicle skids, you lose control of steering and speed.
• In a front wheel skid, your vehicle tends to move straight forward in spite of steering input.
• If your vehicle skids to the left or right, your first action should be to ease off the brake or accelerator. Then turn the wheels gently in the direction you want to go.
• When your vehicle hits a fixed object, the most important factors affecting impact are the speed and weight of the vehicle.
• The crumple zone is the area of the vehicle that is engineered to absorb energy in a crash.
• When an emergency vehicle is approaching, move to the right edge of the road and stop.
• The first action you should take if the accelerator sticks is to shift to neutral and apply the brakes.