Rev Up and Rule the Road 2025: JJ Keller Entry Level CDL Driver Test Challenge!

If your brakes fail while driving, downshifting to a lower gear and finding an escape route is a critical step in maintaining control of the vehicle and preventing a collision. By downshifting, you can utilize engine braking, which helps slow down the vehicle by using the engine's resistance, thus providing additional deceleration alongside steering efforts.

In addition to aiding in slowing the vehicle, identifying an escape route is essential because it allows you to make a strategic decision about where to steer the truck to avoid any hazards or collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, or stationary objects. This proactive approach can help minimize the risk of an accident during a potentially dangerous situation.

In contrast, while applying the emergency brake is an option, it may lock the wheels and cause the vehicle to skid uncontrollably. Steering into a stationary object can result in severe damage and injury, and switching off the engine could eliminate the power steering and braking assistance required to control the vehicle effectively. Thus, downshifting and looking for an escape route is the most rational response when facing brake failure.