Safe Driving with Driverthink

It’s possible that, at some time during our infamous driving careers, we’ll be bopping along without a care in the world.  We’ll go to hit the brakes, and “Whoops!”  Nothing will happen.  It’s not a very pleasant feeling.  More like sheer panic.

Now if we normally keep “safe distance” when we drive, at least we’ll have time to panic!  If not?  “Well, it’s been nice!  There probably aren’t many tailgaters left, who have experienced brake failure.

So dealing with a brake failure is all about, hmmm — dealing with sheer panic.  Okay.  One of the best ways to deal with panic is to understand what’s causing it.  A painfully simplistic review of how brakes work could help.  How Stuff Works  will offer far greater detail.

There are basically two types of brake pressure systems in use today.  Hydraulic and Air Brakes.  An older system was mechanical but that’s a history lesson so we don’t have to go there.  If you have Air Brakes, you probably have an Air Brake endorsement on your commercial driver’s license so there’s no need to go there either.  That leaves us everyday drivers with Hydraulics.

Hydraulic systems have either Drum Brakes or Disc brakes.  Each function differently so it’s kinda’ nice to know what you have, and on which wheels you have them.

When you push the brake pedal, it’s not magic that stops the car.  Pushing the pedal pushes hydraulic fluid in something called brake lines.  This creates pressure.  The fluid passes through other stuff (master cylinders and vacuum assist type stuff), but it eventually ends up somewhere around that rolling wheel.

At the wheel is the disc or drum system.  With either system, a stationary friction materiel is sitting there, waiting to be pushed against either a drum or disc that is connected to, and spinning with the wheel.  When fluid pressure is applied, pressure moves through the brake lines into a piston or cylinder thing, which then transfers hydraulic pressure to mechanical pressure, which then pushes the friction stuff up against the spinning stuff, causing the wheel to either slow or stop.

With a drum system, that friction stuff is on brake shoes.  These wide, curved things sit within round drums and push out against them when pressure is applied.  With a disc system, the friction stuff sits on pads which are pushed from both sides, against spinning discs.  Best way to describe the difference?  Hold a quarter sideways between your thumb and forefinger as hard as you can, and ask someone to take it away from you.  You’ve got discs.  Now hold the quarter on its top and bottom edges.  You’ve got drums.

Some vehicles have drums on all four wheels.  Since front wheels usually do most of the stopping, some have the grabbier discs on front and only drums on rear.  Discs on all four corners?  Better. 

What makes brakes fail?  Usually one of four things.  Either the mechanical piston things freeze up, the sticky friction stuff wears off (we need new brake pads), air gets in the hydraulic lines, or a hydraulic leak develops somewhere.  Then all of that juicy fluid spits out onto the road instead of forcing pressure through the system.

So we’ve got no brakes.  How can we react?  Well?  How critical is the problem?

When brakes go on strike, tires are still rolling.  This means we can still steer.  Don’t turn off the engine though.  Steering lock anti-theft systems will lock the steering wheel.  Then we can’t steer.  Next, in whatever order works:

• Hit the Four way flashers.  We should always know immediately where they are.

• Look for an escape. 

• Pump the Brakes.  If there’s air in our lines, pumping the pedal will help. 

• If there’s room, coast to a stop.  Steer to a safer place and shift to neutral as you come to a stop.

• Apply the Emergency Brake.  It only works on rear wheels and won’t stop us as quickly, but it’s a backup system that should work. 

• Downshift.  Go from Drive to Low.  This will cause the engine to slow us down.  It may over-rev the engine but if it comes down to destroying either the engine or our body, it’s an option.

• Sideswipe something.  It’s a last resort.  Don’t hit anything head on but side swiping a guardrail or steering off road into a fence, a wall or mud will do the trick.

The most important thing we can do to avoid brake failure is to know the warning signs.

If our brakes are constantly squeaking, our pedal feels spongy, our car pulls to one side when braking or we find little puddles of goop on the ground near our wheels, get the brakes checked.

Immediately – before we have to say, “Whoops – No Brakes!”

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