Here is why your car might fail to stop

Loss of brake fluid through a leakage or any other means will lead to the failure of your car from stopping. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

What you need to know:

There are different causes of accidents on Ugandan roads. These range from the state of mind of the driver to the state of the road. However, besides these reasons, your car can be involved in an accident because it has failed to stop. Gillian Nantume explains the reason why this could happen.

Ethan Mayanja’s dream car was a Subaru Impreza and when he finally put together the money to buy one, his joy knew no bounds. Like any impressionable young man, Mayanja was particularly interested in the speed of his new car.
The main reason he fancied this car was that he admired the speed limits it could go to, seeing it driven on the rally tracks. He was eager to take it for a spin.
Sunday evening was ideal. With a friend, they chose the Lugogo Bypass. The idea was to speed through the Bypass and slow down before they entered Jinja road. At 100 kmph, 200 meters to the junction, a boda boda rider came into view. What followed was a disaster, though not fatal.
No matter how hard Mayanja stepped on the brake pedal, the car would not slow down. He had the presence of mind to shift into autopilot mode. Applying the emergency brakes, he hit the barrier in the middle of the road at the junction.
The car turned over. Luckily, they were able to crawl out, unhurt.
Losing control of a car is not a rare occurrence on our roads, especially on the highways. Almost always the results are life threatening, even fatal. One of the common causes of drivers losing control is distractions from passengers and inner turmoil. However, there are other causes why a car might fail to stop.

FAULTY BRAKES

The brake pedal in almost all cars is like a piston. When you apply pressure to the pedal, it pressurizes the brake fluid in the master cylinder, causing it to flow through the brake lines to the pistons at each wheel.
Dan Kiiwa, a car mechanic in Kitooro, Entebbe, says one of the common reasons why your brake pedal will go all the way down to the floor is the loss of brake fluid.
“Brake fluid can be lost through a leakage or sabotage, when someone maliciously cuts the brake lines. Without brake fluid, a driver cannot stop the car they are driving. A faulty master cylinder that is not compressing the brake fluid properly can also cause you to lose braking power,” he explains.

STEERING FAILURE

Power steering helps drivers by boosting the steering effort of the steering wheel, so that they need to apply only modest effort.
Steven Mwesigwa, a car mechanic in Kisekka market, says when the steering of a car starts to fail, turning the wheel will become difficult.
“When the steering locks, you need to work very hard and if your brakes are still working, try to stop the car. However, in most cases, the engine stalls when the steering fails causing the brakes to malfunction.

BAD WEATHER

“Sudden rains make the roads slippery,” says Kiiwa. “In fact, the first few hours after the rain are the most dangerous. Sometimes, especially in untarmacked roads, the water and mud may build up quickly under your tyres that the car will start to float.”
In this situation, the brakes will not work because you no longer have traction. Take your foot off the accelerator and slow down. Drive in a straight line; if you turn the wheels at an angle you are more likely to skid.

WORNOUT TYRES

It is dangerous to drive a vehicle with old tyres, whether on the highway or on the congested roads in town.
“People should avoid driving on tyres that are older than six years,” warns Mwesigwa. “The treads on tyres wear out over time. Driving on bald tyres in the rain can cause loss of control of the vehicle or difficulty in stopping because the threads cannot grip the road properly.”
Even in the dry season, bald tyres can easily be punctured by nails and other sharp objects.

WHAT TO DO

Continue pumping on the brake
If you find yourself in a situation where your brakes are not functioning, do not panic. “If your car is non-anti-lock braking system (ABS), continue pumping on the brakes with your foot,” says Kiiwa. “A small leak in the break lines may be rectified when you pump enough brake fluid into the system.”
If your car has ABS simply press hard on the pedal. It may take some seconds for the brakes to start working.

Shift to lower gear
“If you are alone on the highway, you can use the engine to slow the car by downshifting to lower gears,” Kiiwa maintains. “This works for both manual and automatic transmission cars. Downshift smoothly through the gears; if you do it too quickly you risk a skid. Do not shut off the car to stop it as you will lose control of the steering wheel.”

Use the hand brake
To further slow your vehicle use the hand brake. However, this can lock up your wheels if applied quickly and with too much pressure. Kiiwa explains that if you are using the hand brake, keep the release button on the front of the handle engaged. However, do not use this method if you are traveling more than 40 kmph.

Run into something soft
Mwesigwa adds that “if it looks like you are going to run into something before the car stops, then run into something soft off-road like a banana plantation or some shrub along the highway. By this time it is obvious that you cannot save the car. At least try to save yourself and pray that your airbag is in good shape.”

PRECAUTION

Both mechanics agree that routine maintenance and inspection of your car before you drive will save you a lot of grief. “Listen to your brakes. Brakes that squeal indicate a serious problem,” adds Kiiwa. “Take your car off the road and have it checked by a mechanic. Also, do not ignore your ABS light when it pops up.”