What to do when your car brakes fail

At some point while driving, you might encounter emergences. It could be a flat tire, car brake failure among others. It is important for one to know what to do in such a situation.

Causes

Remmy Ssebuguzi, a mechanic at Mazda Garage in Nalokologo, a Kampala suburb, says brakes fail due to a number of reasons, mainly poor mechanic condition and speed driving among others.

Solution

He says when this happens, don't panic or let go of the steering wheel but instead keep calm as you devise means of handling the situation.

Try to stop the car by simply shifting gears from gear four to one.

Parking brakes can also help by using it to reduce the speed of the car as the driver steers the car from side to side.

When the car stops ensure that brakes are fixed before you continue.

Prevention

"A professional driver should do a pre-trip inspection before driving, to prevent car emergences," he emphasised.

According to Ronnie Fortune Matagala, the deputy defensive training manager at Prestige driving school,  a driver has full control of the vehicle, he or she must do the observation, identify the hazards, predict, make decisions and then act.