Your brakes suddenly fail while you're driving in Oregon. What does the handbook tell you to do FIRST?
-
A.
Pump the brakes to try to build up pressure. Correct
-
B.
Pull the parking brake hard immediately.
-
C.
Shift into reverse to slow the vehicle.
-
D.
Turn off the engine.
The answer is "Pump the brakes to try to build up pressure."
If your brakes stop working, the manual lists the steps in order: pump the brakes, shift to a lower gear so the engine can help slow you down, slowly apply the parking brake, use your horn or lights to warn others that you are out of control, and once you have slowed, ease onto the shoulder. Pumping is first because hydraulic systems can sometimes recover enough pressure with a few quick presses to get the brakes working again.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Pull the parking brake hard immediately.
The manual says to apply the parking brake slowly, and only after pumping the brakes and shifting to a lower gear. Yanking it hard immediately can lock the rear wheels and cause a skid. Misreading: Treats the parking brake as the first emergency action, when the manual lists it as a later step and says to apply it slowly rather than pull it hard.
C. Shift into reverse to slow the vehicle.
The manual says to shift to a lower gear so the engine can help slow you down, not into reverse. Shifting into reverse at speed can wreck the transmission. Misreading: Confuses the manual's instruction to shift to a lower gear with shifting into reverse, which the manual never lists as a step.
D. Turn off the engine.
Turning off the engine is not in the manual's list of steps for brake failure, and it usually disables power steering and power brake assist, which makes the vehicle harder to control. Misreading: Invents a step the manual does not list; turning off the engine is not part of the brakes-fail sequence on page 85.
This question tests your knowledge of Vehicle Equipment in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Safe & Responsible Driving, Vehicle Equipment Failures, Brakes Fail," p.85..
Related Oregon questions
- You experience a tire blowout while driving in Oregon. What's the correct response? →
- Your headlights stop working at night while driving in Oregon. What does the manual recommend? →
- Your power steering suddenly fails while driving in Oregon. What's the recommended response? →
- Your accelerator pedal sticks while you're driving on an Oregon road. What does the Oregon manual tell you to do with the transmission? →
- Are you allowed to put stickers or other objects on the windows of your Oregon vehicle? →
The Oregon book is on the way
Drop your email and we'll send the free Oregon cheat sheet now, plus a note the moment the book is available.