applying your smart driving skills 128 Gas pedal sticking  warning! Strategies: hood flying up  Hood flying up  Strategies: handling headlight failure  Headlight failure  It is dangerous and illegal to drive at night without headlights.  You must get off the road as quickly as possible if your lights fail. If your headlights ever fail:  Hoods can fly up if they are not securely latched. If you notice  that your hood is not properly latched, pull over and fully close  the hood. Don’t panic if you find yourself blinded by the hood flying  up when you’re driving:  The gas pedal can stick because of ice or snow build‑up, or if  the floor mat gets pushed up and jammed beneath the pedal,  or because of a malfunction.  You may be able to release the pedal by using your toe to lift it  if you are travelling at a very low speed when the pedal sticks. Never reach down with  your hand to release a  stuck gas pedal because  you could easily lose  control of the vehicle. • Try to look through the crack below the hood or open  your window and look in the direction you’re travelling.  • Take your foot off the accelerator.  • Turn on the hazard lights.  • Pump your brakes to warn drivers behind you that  you’re slowing down.  • Steer over to the side of the road. • Turn the light switch on and off quickly.  • Turn on the hazard lights if the headlights stay off.  • Slow down, pull off the road and get help. 