emergency strategies 8 in this chapter Preparing for emergencies  Emergency driving strategies  Emergency braking warning! You in the driver’s seat You’re driving along your street, almost home. Out of  the corner of your right eye you see a ball roll out onto  the street with a blurry image behind it — maybe the  neighbour’s child. There’s hardly any time to stop.  What should you do?  Even skilled drivers are not  able to safely handle every  emergency. The strategies  in this chapter can’t  guarantee your safety. The  best preparation for an  emergency is to avoid it. Two strategies to handle dangerous situations are emergency  braking and skid control. These strategies are complex.  You should only practise them in a safe location under the  supervision of an expert driver.  Remember to prepare your vehicle for emergencies. Carry the  right emergency equipment to help you deal with situations  described in this chapter.  The best preparation is to always be alert and drive using the  see-think-do  strategy. If you’re alert and make good decisions  based on your observations, you will usually be able to take a  driving action before an emergency develops.  No one really expects to be involved in an emergency, but  you can be sure that at some time you’ll face one while you’re  driving. The best way to handle emergencies is to be prepared.  One way you can prepare is by rehearsing what you would do.  Try these steps:  Chapter 7  gave useful strategies to help you handle personal  situations that can influence your driving in a negative way. This chapter describes two major strategies for handling driving  emergencies and many practical tips for helping you control  situations to prevent emergencies from developing. 1. As you drive, look ahead and scan the scene for potential  hazards (a child running out in front of you, a cyclist swerving  into your lane, a car stopping in front of you suddenly, etc.).  2. Ask yourself:  What would I do?  (brake, swerve, pull over, etc.) 115 • Preparing for  emergencies  • Emergency driving  strategies  • Environmental  hazards  • Night hazards • Vehicle  breakdowns • Animals on the road • Collision avoidance • At the scene of a crash 