If your vehicle's brakes fail you may be able to stop by

• A. Pumping the brake pedal rapidly
• B. Turning off the engine
• C. By slowly applying the parking brake
• D. Shifting to park while moving

Answer: (C)

When hydraulic brakes fail, you still have a way to slow the car using a separate mechanism—the parking brake. Applying it slowly gives you friction to reduce speed without causing a sudden lockup, which helps you keep some steering control and steer toward a safe area as you come to a stop. Engine braking by downshifting can also help you slow down, but you want to use the parking brake gradually to avoid skidding or losing control.

Pumping the brake pedal might seem like it could restore pressure in some older systems, but it isn’t reliable in a brake failure and won’t fix the problem in many vehicles. Turning off the engine removes power assist for both braking and steering, making control much harder. Shifting into park while moving can lock the wheels and lead to a loss of control. So, the best immediate action is to slowly apply the parking brake while steering to a safe location.