For all you penny-pinching antique drivers
 

Be generous when it comes to your brakes:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/deerfield/fl-car-in-lake-brf-20110813,0,6378868.story

And why didn't she manually downshift the transmission and use the (mechanical) e-brake to come to a "normal" stop? That's asking too much, but similar to the Pruis "unintended acceleration" dummies; why not turn off the key?

This should probably be moved to OD. ;)

lot of people panic in an emergency and cannot reason and act properly.

I've been in a couple of equipment-failure panic situations, and didn't react too well at all. It's not at all like a situation where someone pulls in front of you or runs a light, and you have to react, with a car that functions as expected.
I've got quite a bit of racing experience, and always considered myself a very alert and good driver with good mechanical knowledge of cars. But, when that pedal goes to the floor without warning, either the gas or the brake, all reason goes out the window.

Even the act of actually steering around an accident while holding the brakes in full ABS mode is a lot tougher to actually do than it would seem. You tend to just hammer the pedal and grip the wheel and hope it stops.

But, I did notice the roof on that 126 didn't even flex as they drug it up the bank. They probably can flip it over and put it back on the road.

DG

Hey lady, it's a Tank not a Boat.

I had the brakes go out on me one time back when I was a mechanic. I rolled into traffic and got T-boned before I could figure out what to do. I had just enough time to stop on the dead brake pedal twice before it was all over.

I've seen and replaced some seriously rusty brake and fuel hard lines. I've broken them just from looking at them. None of the European manufacturers coated their hard lines properly. Replace them with cupro-nickel alloy lines or end up in a lake.

As said when brakes fail, steering around obstacles is the best option.... It has worked for me, once w an auto and once w a stickshift which was a lot easier because of the short 1st gear, which allowed me to drive to the service station..... seems insane.... no, it was in the country on small farm roads...

Michel

One more good reason to check those brake hoses!

Take a flight lesson
 

The first thing to learn as a pilot is to watch for a safe place to land. If you drive with the attitude that you always have to have an out, you will be a better driver.

37 years ago, I bought a Ford Falcon for $75. Driving it home, I came into the main intersection in town. The light was red so I stepped on the brakes. The pedal went to the floor with no results. Fortunately I was looking for the out and jumped the curb and took the corner on the sidewalk. A rear brakedrum broke and released all the pressure in the brakelines.

Since then I have always driven looking for the out. It has paid off several times when cars in front of me and cars behind me had accidents that I avoided.