All modern cars have dual brake systems plus a parking brake in them. The parking brake is usually cable-actuated, meaning the parking brake is connected to the rear brakes in a manner that is not dependent on the main hydraulic system that actuates the brakes. The terms parking brake and emergency brake are used interchangeably in the automotive world to refer to a purely mechanical braking system which can be actuated in the event of hydraulic failure, or used to secure a car when the motor is off and the car is parked. The term used depends on the scenario. In an emergency situation, the emergency brake can be used to stop a car safely. In daily use, the parking brake is used as a safety measure to prevent movement of the car when it is not in use. There are also parking brakes that actuate inside the hub of the rear disk rotors, serving as mechanical drum brakes. In an emergency, using the parking brake and a combination of engine braking should be the first maneuver the driver should attempt to try to bring the car to a safe stop.

A dual brake system uses a tandem or dual brake master cylinder (this is the mechanism connected to the brake pedal that pushes hydraulic fluid to the brake calipers at the wheels) to provide separate brake systems for both the front and the rear of the vehicle. In the event of a loss of hydraulic fluid, one system may still work because it is independent of the other system. Often the front left brake is linked with the right rear brake. Likewise the right front brake is linked with the left rear brake. Also called a dual-circuit braking system, this system is installed in all car nowadays. Thus, a situation where a car has absolutely no brakes at all is catastrophic because it will have circumvented the backup safety features of the dual-circuit hydraulic system and the mechanical hand brake system.

As we said earlier, the first attempt to stop a car with no brakes is to try the hand (or emergency, or parking) brake first. For cars with manual transmissions, lift your foot off the throttle and downshift rapidly to use the engine as an assist to braking. At the same time look at your side and rearview mirrors to see if there is oncoming traffic while steering toward a section of the road where you can stop the car. Activate your emergency flashers too to let the drivers of cars around you aware that you are in an emergency situation. It is a lot to do, of course, but one should never panic in adverse situations. It only muddles up the decision-making process that is all the more critical in times like these.

For cars using an automatic transmission, downshift on the gearshift from D to the next position, usually 4 or 3, then downshift again as you are getting out of traffic. This will engage the gears manually and will have the effect of using the engine to help stop the car. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you should have activated the emergency / hand brake at the first symptoms of brake failure. The final maneuver to stop the car is to brush the wheels against the curb or even sideswipe a wall to scrub off speed. The car’s welfare should be of no import at this point, only that of the occupants to life-threatening injury. If the car’s speed is low enough, you can actually opt to ram a tree or light post and the combination of seat belts and airbags should protect the occupants. This is an act of desperation that should be taken only when all other attempts to stop have failed.

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Category: Automotive
Keywords: automotive, cars, driving, advice, car brake, brake failure, road safety tips