What to Do When Brakes Fail During Descent?
1 Answers
During a downhill drive, failure of the service brake refers to the foot brake malfunction. In such cases, engine braking can be used to decelerate the vehicle to a stop. In emergency situations, the vehicle can also be stopped by scraping against roadside obstacles to prevent more severe accidents. More details are as follows: 1. If the service brake fails, the parking brake can be utilized. It is advisable to use engine braking during downhill driving. Parking brake operation involves stopping the vehicle using the handbrake, but it is not absolutely necessary to pull the handbrake to its limit; gently applying the handbrake can also achieve appropriate deceleration. 2. Engine braking refers to lifting the accelerator pedal without depressing the clutch, utilizing the compression resistance, internal friction, and intake/exhaust resistance generated by the engine's compression stroke to create a braking effect on the drive wheels. Engine braking slows the vehicle through the engine's drag effect, with lower gears providing more noticeable drag and stronger braking performance. 3. When driving on long downhill roads, shifting to a lower gear and utilizing the engine's drag effect can reduce the burden on the brakes and minimize the number of brake applications, preventing brake overheating and subsequent thermal fade. On snowy, icy, or muddy roads, using engine drag braking can help prevent skidding.
