What Actions Can You Take in Case of a Blowout or Flat Tire?

A blowout is an explosion in a tire while the car is in motion. The tire suddenly loses air pressure and the car may become difficult to control. 

A tire can lose pressure gradually, through a slow leak. A tire can go flat either while the car is parked or when the car is moving.

• If Your Tire Loses Pressure

When a tire fails while you are driving you may feel a strong pull to the right or left. The rear of your car may shimmy or swerve back and forth. If a tire loses pressure, do this:

1. Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands. 
2. Release the accelerator slowly, don’t brake as the car could swerve out of control. 
3. Check the traffic around you and once you find a gap, signal and steer off the road. As the car slows, brake gradually and come to a stop on a flat surface as far off the main roadway as you can. 
4. Shift to Park, Reverse in a manual shift car, set the braking brake, and put on your emergency flashers.
5. Get out of the car and all passengers as well. 

• How to Change a Tire

Position your car on a flat, hard surface as far from traffic as possible. Set out flares or warning triangles 100 feet in front and back of the vehicle to warn other drivers. Find some types of blocks to put in front and behind the tires to keep them from rolling once the car is jacked up. Here are the basic steps to changing a flat tire:

1. After the wheel blocks are in place, remove the jack, lug wrench, and spare tire from your trunk. 
2. Remove the hubcap and use the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts enough to take off by hand. 
3. Place the jack in the designed place and jack up the car until the flat tire clears a couple of inches above the ground.
4. Take off the lug nuts and put them inside the hubcap in a safe place. 
5. Pull off the flat tire and place underneath the frame of the car in case the car falls off of the jack.
6. Replace it with the spare tire. Put the lug nuts back on by hand and tighten them.
7. Carefully let the car down and remove the jack. Tighten the lug nuts as tight as you can with the lug wrench. 
8. Put the flat tire, jack wrench, warning triangles, and other equipment in the trunk.
9. A doughnut is a spare tire that is undersized and one that should not be driven faster than 50 mph nor further than 50 miles. Have the flat tire repaired right away. 

What Should You Do if Your Accelerator Pedal Sticks?

A stuck accelerator pedal does not allow the engine to return to idle when you take your foot off the pedal. A stuck accelerator pedal may be caused by a sticking linage or accelerator spring, a broken engine mount, a crumpled floor mat, or ice or snow on the floor around the pedal. Here’s what to do:

1. Apply the brakes and shift to Neutral. The engine will race, but power will be disengaged from the wheels. 
2. Check traffic and signal a lane change.
3. Choose a safe path and steer off the road continuing to apply the brakes. 
4. When you are off the roadway turn off the ignition and apply the brakes.
5. If the pedal problem is mechanical, have it repaired before driving.

What Should You Do If the Hood Flies Up?

If the hood of your car suddenly flies up while you’re driving you must take action to avoid a collision and get off the road. 

1. Lean forward and look through the space between the dashboard and the hood where there is a two inch gap. If this view is blocked or limited, roll down your side window and look around the hood. Continue to move in the direction you were moving. 
2. Check your mirrors to see what traffic is behind you. Check the traffic to either side of you. 
3. Signal to indicate the direction you want to move. Maintain your lane position while waiting for a gap in traffic then steer off the roadway.

What Actions Can You Take If Your Car Catches Fire?

Car fires don’t occur often, but when they do they require prompt action to minimize risk to people and property.

• If the Engine Catches Fire

Engine fires are usually fuel fed or electrical. If a fire suddenly erupts in your engine while you’re driving, you’ll see and smell smoke coming from under your hood. Follow these steps:

1. Steer off the road to an open space. Turn off the ignition. Use common sense.
2. Get out of the car and all passengers too. Move far away from the car. Call for help.
3. Decide how serious the fire is—high heat and flames around the hood—–don’t attempt to put the fire out yourself. Stay far away from the car and wait for the fire department. 
4. If the fire is not serious and you have a fire extinguisher      in the trunk, you can try and put it out yourself. Don’t use water as it is not effective against fuel and oil fires.  

• If There is a Fire in the Passenger Compartment

A fire in the passenger compartment is usually caused by a burning cigarette or match. Steer off the road and stop clear of traffic. Turn off the ignition and everyone gets out of the car. Use a fire extinguisher or water to put out the fire.

What Should You Do If Your Car’s Battery is Dead?

A battery may go dead if you keep your headlights on or play the radio for a long time while the engine is not running. You may be able to restore power to your battery by using jumper cables to connect it to a working battery in another car.

• Jump Starting Your Car

The most common way to recharge your battery is to jump start it. To do this, you need another car with a working battery that is the same voltage as yours and a pair of jumper cables.

• Before you decide to jump start your battery, make sure the battery fluid is not frozen or that the level of fluid in the battery is not low as the battery could explode. 

To jump start your car follow these steps.

1. Position your cars so that the jumper cables can reach between the two batteries. 
2. Attach the positive jumper cable (red) to the positive terminal, clamping the other end of the jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
3. Attach the negative jumper cable (black) to the negative terminal, clamping the other end of the jumper cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery.
4. Start the engine of the car that has a good battery. Hold down the accelerator so that the engine runs at a high idle.
5. Start the engine of the car with the dead battery and let it idle as you remove the jumper cable. 

What Should You Do If Your Headlights Fail?

Rarely do both headlights fail at the same time. Headlight failure is the result of a burned out low beam headlamp. If your headlights die here is what to do:

1. Slow down, pull off the road, and stop.
2. Try switching to high beams. If switching to high beams gives no light try turning on parking lights. Turn your emergency flashers on. Call for help.