Defending the Seemingly Inconsequential

Defending the Seemingly Inconsequential: Brake Failure on a Steep Hill Whether someone should jump out of their car or try to steer to safety if the brakes go out on a steep hill with sharp turns is a question that many people would debate. There are obviously two sides to the issue, but this paper will argue that steering to safety is the best choice. There are several reasons for this that will be discussed so that a full understanding of the issue can be created.

Jumping out of a moving vehicle is very dangerous, even at slow speeds on straight, flat roads. It may look glamorous in the movies, but in reality there is a lot of danger. Someone who jumps from a moving car can lose their footing and fall where the rear wheels would roll over part of their body. They could also fall a long way if the car is somewhere where the shoulder of the road drops off sharply.

Another worry with jumping from a moving vehicle is the damage that vehicle could do to others that it might hit while it is still traveling but not being steered. People could be injured or killed by the runaway vehicle that has suddenly been created when the driver chose to jump. On the other hand, staying in the vehicle could also be dangerous, but less so if the driver knows some basic tips that should be done if the brakes fail. First, the driver should pump the brakes.

Sometimes they will come back slightly if this is done, and some braking power is better than none. It is very important, especially on a steep, curvy hill where the vehicle will pick up speed very fast and may easily get out of control, to slow the car down as quickly as possible. If pumping the brakes does not work, the emergency brake should be used, and the car should be shifted into neutral on a flat road (National, 2004). Neutral, however, is not recommended on a hill.

This is hard on the vehicle, but the main concern at that point would be the safety of the driver. The vehicle can be replaced, but the person cannot. Shifting into a lower gear is also helpful in this instance, as it will also work to slow the vehicle. If these things do not appear to be working, the engine can always be turned off.

When doing this, it is important that the driver be very careful to only turn the key to 'off' and not to the 'lock' position where it would normally be turned when shutting off the vehicle and exiting it. Turning the key this far will lock the steering wheel, which would be extremely dangerous on a road with sharp turns.

Even a vehicle that is turned off can coast, but by shutting off the vehicle, shifting the transmission (either manual or automatic) into the lowest gear, and applying the emergency brake, the vehicle should slow quite a bit. This may not make the vehicle stop completely, but it will slow it enough that it can be safely steered around the curves until the bottom of the hill is reached. When the vehicle nears the bottom of the hill, it can be put in 'park' if it has an automatic transmission.

While this is very hard on the transmission when the vehicle is still moving, doing this at a very low speed will probably not to permanent damage. Even if it does, the vehicle can always be fixed. A vehicle with a manual transmission should be placed in first gear if this has not already been done. Never put a vehicle with a manual transmission in 'neutral' when trying to slow it down on a hill. It.