Emergency brake is sometimes needed when there is an object suddenly blocking the front of the car. What is the correct way, press the brake firmly or pull the hand brake ?.
Emergency brake is usually applied when the car is too close to the object in front of it. Fortunately, braking technology is increasingly developing, minimizing the danger that will occur if a car suddenly applies the emergency brake.
Minimize this hazard only for drivers and cars applying the emergency brake so that they can stop just before hitting obstacles in front of them.
In addition, there are other factors that cause accidents when applying the emergency brake. Each driver has a different response.
Emergency Brake, Press Strong Brake or Pull Hand Brake
You may have a good response when suddenly there is an obstacle and immediately apply the emergency brake, but not necessarily the vehicle behind has the response and time to apply the emergency brake either.
Therefore, it is very important to always maintain a minimum and safe distance between vehicles while on the road. Then, properly apply the emergency brake. How to? Press hard on the brakes or pull the handbrake?
Step on the brakes as hard as possible
This method of applying the emergency brakes only applies to cars that already have safety features in the form of the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS).
During sudden braking due to an emergency situation, the ABS technology brakes will not lock even if the driver is applying the brakes as hard as possible.
This allows the driver to still be able to control and direct the car in order to reduce collisions or the risk of accidents against sudden objects.
When you hit the brakes as hard as you can, sometimes there is a kick back from the lever or you feel a throbbing.
It indicates that the ABS is working, so keep stepping on it and do not remove it until it feels safe. In order to have time to control and steer the car, turn again, the driver still has to maintain a safe distance and reaction time.
Shaking the brakes
It’s a different matter if you do an emergency brake on a car that doesn’t have ABS. The technique for a car to stop and reduce the risk of an accident is to apply the brakes.
Some people may think that applying hard brakes can make the vehicle stop faster. However, how to brake a car like that is not right.
If you have to do an emergency brake, try not to apply the brakes immediately because it will cause the brakes to lock and slip.
The proper way to brake emergency for non-ABS cars is to shake the brake lever so that the tires have time to turn so that the car can be controlled and directed.
However, the feeling of the driver is really needed in using this conventional braking technique. The driver must be able to feel that when to step on or release, then press the brake lever again.
Engine break
One other way to reduce the speed of the car during an emergency is to perform an engine break which can be used in manual or automatic transmission cars.
The trick is to change the high transmission to low transmission.
For example, when the transmission is in 4th gear, you should lower it to 3rd gear first.
If the speed of the car is in accordance with the transmission level, the driver may lower it again into 2nd gear, and don’t forget to apply the brakes slowly.
Whereas in automatic transmission cars, move the transmission from position D to 2 to slow down the car. However, this technique must be done properly so as not to damage the car engine.
Handbrake
Using the handbrake when applying the emergency brake can be dangerous, especially for the mechanical type.
When you pull it, the tires will automatically lock, causing the car to suddenly stop. Moreover, if you are traveling at high speed, the car will be very difficult to control and will cause slippage.
In the electric type hand brake, automatically even though the driver has pressed it while the car is driving, this brake will not activate. This is a security and safety system.
See Also : Caring For The Car Hand Brakes To Stay Optimal When Used
We recommend that you use the hand brake when the car stops on an incline, stops for a long time or is parked, until the brake failure is assisted by an engine break.
So to avoid emergency brakes it is better to adhere to the speed limit, maintain a minimum distance and a safe distance, and always be alert on the road.
