What to Do When Brakes Lock Up While Driving? Don’t Stop Reading Now!

As they say, accidents happen when you least expect them. However, having your car’s brakes locked up while you are driving could cause you to expect one to take place anytime soon.

Nothing can be more terrifying than your car speeding down the road and nothing is happening when you step on the brake pedal to slow down. Your automobile’s braking system is one of the most important safety features around, and you as well as your passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians are not safe when it’s not working properly.

Such can be due to a number of things. They range anywhere from damaged calipers, overheated brakes to using the wrong brake fluid. It is possible to deal with some of them with your own hands, such as allowing the brakes to cool off for a while or pouring the right brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. Other causes, on the other hand, require the knowledge, skills, and experience of a certified auto mechanic.

As soon as you realize that the brake of your vehicle is locked up while you are barreling down the road, there is one very important thing that you should do: not panicking. Don’t take your hands off the wheel or jump out of your moving vehicle the minute that the brakes lock up. What you need to do is stay calm, have the presence of mind, and do the necessary steps to put your car to a halt without causing harm to yourself and others.

But before we check out the steps that you should take in terms of lock brakes, let us first quickly talk about some of the reasons why this terrifying matter that is locking brakes happen.

There are many different things that could cause your car’s brakes to lock up while you are driving. Some of the most common ones include:

·          Eroded brake pistons

·          Perforated caliper piston rubber boot

·          Worn-off brake wheel cylinders

·          Damaged drum brake backing plates

·          Misaligned power brake booster rod

·          Broken or malfunctioning rotor parts

·          Faulty anti-lock braking system (ABS) component

·          The use of the wrong type of brake fluid

·          Overheated braking system

As you can see, there are all kinds of things that can be blamed for your car’s locked brakes. That is why as soon as it happens, you should definitely get your vehicle towed to the nearest auto repair shop to have the cause of the locking up problem identified and ultimately fixed.

Now that you know some of the culprits behind why car brakes lock, let’s take a look at the steps that you should take just in case the brakes lock up while you’re driving:

1. First things first: refrain from panicking as it will only make the lock brake scenario worse!

2. Switch on your emergency blinkers.

3. If there are cars around, honk your horn repeatedly to signal them loud and clear to get out of your way.

4. Release the gas pedal and at the same time turn off the cruise control.

5. Steer your automobile to the shoulder if you’re on a highway.

6. If there are grassy areas or gravel roads, guide your car there to slow down.

7. Downshift your vehicle gradually, but do not put it in the park or reverse while it’s still in motion.

8. Pump the brake pedal to build up a lot of pressure, and then apply the parking brake.

9. Wait for your car to fully come to a halt before turning the engine off.

Keep the steps in mind and make sure that you follow them in such an order just in case your car’s brakes refuse to cooperate. Because brakes locked up could happen to anyone’s automobile, make sure that you share this article on your various social media sites so that your family and friends may also learn the steps to take.

If you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: info@zemotor.com