“In this lesson, you will learn about stopping safely in the event of an emergency. The key points are:
– Being alert and staying aware
– Reacting promptly
– Safety after stopping
Emergencies happen when people are not alert to the dangers around them or when they are going too fast to cope when something happens. Here, we see a row of parked cars on the left. What might happen? If you are in the habit of thinking “What if?” when you see a hazard ahead ahead, you will rarely have to do an emergency stop.
Here, we ask “What if a vehicle pulls out?”
If something does happen, you must react promptly by pressing the brake pedal firmly. This is the only occasion when checking the mirrors will not be your first priority.
When you press the brake firmly, the anti-lock brakes will activate and may make a rattling sound. Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal until the car stops. Anti-lock brakes allow the car to be steered when you are braking hard.
After a practice stop, apply the parking brake, select neutral and relax.
We said earlier that mirrors are not your first priority, but they are still important. In a real emergency, check your mirrors as soon as possible after braking. You need to know what’s happening around to decide the next priority after stopping. This could be securing the car or moving the car quickly.
Before moving the car, make sure that it is safe to do so by checking all around. There might be secondary dangers. Please note that we recommend that you should only practice this manoeuvre with a qualified driving instructor.”
