It can be very scary if your brakes stop working while you are driving your car, but one of the worst things you can do is to panic. When you go into panic mode it is difficult to think clearly, and you could put your life in even more danger. Follow the tips below so you will know what to do just in case this happens to you.

Try to Downshift

You need to learn how to downshift your car in case this happens, as this is the first thing you should do. How you do this depends on if you have a manual transmission or automatic transmission

When you put your car in a lower gear, it will start to slow down even though the car is running. This is very helpful if you were not driving fast in the first place, as it will not take as long to slow down. If you were driving fast, however, get into the outside lane so you have will have a place to pull over when your car slows down enough. Many interstates and high way systems have a breakdown lane. If so, drive your car into this.

Try the Brakes Again

Your car likely has a dual braking system. This means you have brakes that control the front and rear brakes that control the rear tires. As a result, both sets of breaks would have to fail for the brakes on your car to completely stop working.

Cutting the braking system on your car in half is still unsafe, but you will likely have some braking power. To check this, you would apply a strong and consistent pressure to your car's brake pedal to see if your car slows down.

To know for sure if your car has a dual braking system, refer to the owner's manual, or take your car to a mechanic.

Try the Emergency Brake

Your emergency break is put in your car for situations like this. Your emergency break needs to be strong for this to work correctly. For this reason, take your car to a mechanic to have it looked at. They will know if it is strong enough, and can replace it for you if it isn't.

If your car has an automatic transmission, you will likely find your emergency break to the right or level with you. There may also be a pedal on the floor on the far left. If you have a manual transmission, you will have a lever on your left under the dashboard that you pull for the emergency brake.

If you cannot find it, refer to owner's manual for your car for this information.

Following these tips can help keep you and anyone else in your car safer in case you have this problem. For more information, contact companies like Parkway Service Center Inc.