Driving Emergencies: Are Your Workers Prepared?

You’re traveling at 70 miles per hour on a busy highway when you blow a tire. Your car hits an unexpected slick spot and starts to fishtail. Your brakes or steering suddenly lock up.

In these situations, preparedness can literally make the difference between life and death. That means making sure your employees are trained to deal with common driving emergencies by following these guidelines:

A blown tire:

• Hang on to the steering wheel.
• Don’t brake suddenly.
• Ease off the gas and coast until you have control of the car.
• Turn on your hazard lights to warn the drivers around you.
• Steer smoothly.

Skidding or hydroplaning:

• Don’t make any sudden moves, such as braking hard or jerking the wheel.
• Ease off the gas.
• Steer the car’s nose gently in the direction you’d like to go. Make adjustments gradually, as needed, until the vehicle is moving in a straight line.

Failed steering:

• Don’t brake – a sudden change in speed could send the car spinning.
• Ease off the gas.
• Turn on your hazard lights.
• Coast to a stop, using your brakes gently once the car slows on its own.

Your brakes fail:

• Downshift.
• Move to the right, remembering to signal as needed.
• Because the failure might be temporary, keep your foot on the brakes. If you have ABS, apply steady pressure; If you don’t have ABS, pump the brakes.
• Shift into neutral and apply your emergency brake.
• If possible, use friction to slow or stop the vehicle by running it along a curb or something alongside the road.

For more information, feel free to get in touch with us.