Objectives
You should be able to bring the vehicle to a prompt and controlled stop as if a child had run into the road. You should understand why it is important to react quickly and why it is important not to waste time making a mirror check. You should understand that the vehicle will handle differently under hard braking.
On your driving test, the examiner will ask you to pull up on the left and then brief you on the emergency stop. They will say, ‘Shortly, I will be asking you to do the emergency stop as if a child had run out into the road. When I raise my right hand and say stop, you need to react as quickly as possible, keeping the car under full control. You may see me look over my shoulder. Please do not anticipate the stop until I raise my right hand.’
What To Do
No time for mirrors: This increases your thinking time, which increases your overall braking distance. A quick reaction is needed.
Brake firmly and progressively: Harder than normal but do not ‘slam’ the brake pedal. An indication you have braked firm enough is that you should feel a slight forward lurch in your seat.
Clutch down just before you stop: This is to avoid stalling. Avoid putting the clutch down straight away as this is coasting and will increase your overall stopping distance.
Keep both hands on the wheel: In a real-life situation, you would brace yourself for impact or try to change direction. When stopped, apply the handbrake.
Before Moving Off
Ensure you look over both blind spots too. If there are any vehicles around you, wait to see if they pass; if not, then apply a signal to let them know you are moving off.
Skid Control
If the back end of your car goes to the left, then steer into it. Be careful of over-steering, as you could cause the skid to go in the other direction.
If you brake too firmly in older vehicles (2000 or less usually), you may experience the wheels locking, which means you are skidding. To come out of the skid, you should release the pressure on the brake pedal and then re-apply. Repeat this, so you are pumping the brake repeatedly and quickly.
Anti-Locking Braking System
In some cases, your car may have an Anti-Locking Braking System (ABS) which detects when your wheels are about to lock and rapidly pumps the brake for you. It will prevent you from skidding and enable you to focus on steering the car better as you will not be needing to multi-task in an emergency.
Stopping Distance
Below is a table taken from the Highway code of the typical stopping distances. Please remember that in the rain the overall stopping distance will double, whilst in the ice and snow it can increase up to ten times.
2-second rule:On 40mph+ roads, pick a landmark like a road sign. Once the car in front passes that sign, count to 2 seconds slowly. If you get there before you finish counting, then that’s an indication that you’re following too close.
Slow Reaction
When the examiner raises their right hand and says ‘STOP’, you are expected to react as quickly as possible. If you’re taking 1-2 seconds more than you should to press the brake pedal, this could result in stopping too late and ultimately you could fail your test.
Not Stopping Quickly Enough
You MUST press the brake firmly and hard but not stamp on the pedal. As you press the brake pedal, gradually increase the pressure. As an indication, if you have braked firmly enough, the seat belt should lock.
Vehicle Skids Out of Control
When the pedal has been stamped on, the car can skid. If you feel the car skidding, you will need to apply cadence braking. If you have ABS braking (Anti-Locking Braking system), then this will assist you. If the back end of your car slides out, you will need to turn into the skid. This should not happen on your driving test, as the examiner will only ask you to do this on a straight road in good weather conditions.
Taking Your Hands Off The Steering Wheel
Taking your hands off the wheel whilst the car is moving at high speeds will almost certainly result in a fail and, in real life, could be the difference between you staying on the road or not hitting the person on the road. You shouldn’t try to apply the handbrake whilst the car is in motion and changing gear is unnecessary as you are stopping.
Handbrakes Whilst Still Moving
You should not use the parking brake before the car has stopped. The parking brake (handbrake) locks the two back wheels. If you pull this up whilst moving, the car may go into a skid. Only use the handbrake once stopped.
Poor Observation
It’s vital you look all around after an emergency stop. It’s known as a 360-degree observation or a 6-point check. If there is anyone around you or about to pass you, then make sure you’re not affecting them as you move off. If you haven’t seen them and move off, this will result in a fail if that hazard is near enough to you.
Signalling
You should signal if it would benefit another road user. There may be a car 150 metres away; make sure you put a signal on in case they decide to build up speed. By putting a signal on, you are letting that road user know your intentions.
