Rules of the road

Emergencies & Collisions

What to do in a skid, breakdown, or collision.

Pump the brakes before using the parking brake for brake failure, lift the stuck gas pedal with your foot, steer firmly through a blowout without heavy braking, and call police if collision damage exceeds $5,000.

A vehicle emergency has a specific, correct procedure attached to it, not just a general instruction to stay calm, and collision reporting has an exact dollar threshold that decides whether police involvement is mandatory.

Key facts

If your brakes fail, try pumping the pedal first to restore hydraulic pressure before using the parking brake.
You must call police after a collision if the total damage exceeds $5,000.

Respond correctly to a mechanical failure

If your brakes fail, pump the pedal repeatedly first, since this can temporarily restore hydraulic pressure. If that does not work, apply the parking brake gradually while holding its release button, rather than yanking it on suddenly.

If the gas pedal sticks, try to lift it with your foot rather than reaching down with your hands while still driving. If that fails, turn on your hazard lights, shift into neutral, and steer to a safe stop off the road, then turn off the ignition and call for help rather than attempting to drive away.

Handle a tire blowout without overcorrecting

Take your foot off the gas pedal to let the vehicle slow naturally, and steer firmly in the direction you want to go; a blowout will pull the vehicle and cause noticeable vibration, but heavy braking can make you lose control rather than regain it.

Bring the vehicle to a stop off the road once you have it under control, rather than stopping in a travel lane, since a disabled vehicle in traffic creates a second hazard for everyone behind you.

Know your legal duties after a collision

If anyone is injured, turn off all engines, turn on your emergency flashers, call the police, provide first aid if you are trained to, and stay with injured people until help arrives. Police attendance is mandatory whenever there are injuries.

If no one is injured, move drivable vehicles off the road once it is safe, exchange information with anyone whose vehicle was damaged, and get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any witnesses. You must call police if the total damage exceeds $5,000, and you should contact your insurance company promptly regardless of the amount.

Common mistakes

Pulling the parking brake on hard and suddenly instead of applying it gradually during brake failure.
Reaching down with your hands to free a stuck gas pedal while still driving.
Braking heavily during a tire blowout instead of steering firmly and easing off the gas.
Assuming police involvement is optional whenever damage is under a certain amount, without knowing the actual $5,000 threshold.

Check your understanding

1. Your brakes fail while driving. What should you try first, before using the parking brake?

Pump the brake pedal repeatedly, since this can temporarily restore hydraulic brake pressure.

2. You experience a tire blowout. What should you do with the gas pedal and steering wheel?

Take your foot off the gas pedal and steer firmly in the direction you want to go, without braking heavily.

3. You are involved in a collision with no injuries. At what damage amount are you required to call the police?

When the total damage exceeds $5,000.

Official references

Facts reviewed 2026-09-17.

41 questions available in this topic.

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