Use of brakes — Hawaii Permit Test

If you are about to strike something, do not jam on the brakes and slide the wheels; apply and release the brakes rapidly and steer toward a clear area. With antilock brakes, see your owner's manual.

Sliding wheels cannot steer, so a locked-up car goes straight into what you are trying to miss.

Instead, apply and release the brakes rapidly and STEER the vehicle toward a clear area.

Always test your brakes after driving through water.

Wet brakes can grab weakly or not at all at the next stop sign.

Always test the action of the brakes after driving through water.

If your brakes are weak after driving through water, apply them lightly several times until proper braking returns.

Driving on with soaked brakes leaves you with little stopping power in the next emergency.

If the braking action has been reduced, apply the brakes lightly several times until proper braking action has been restored.

When stopping in traffic, stop far enough behind the vehicle ahead that you can see where its rear tires meet the road, leaving room to go around it.

Stopped too close, you are boxed in if the car ahead stalls or rolls back.

When stopping in traffic, stop far enough behind the vehicle ahead so that you can see the point where the rear tires of the vehicle ahead rest on the road.

Avoid long, steady brake use: it heats the brakes and makes them much less effective. Shifting to a lower gear lets the engine help hold your speed down.

Brakes held on all the way down a long hill can fade just when you need them at the bottom.

Avoid prolonged brake applications as this causes the brakes to heat up and become much less effective.

To avoid hitting something ahead, what does the manual say to do (without ABS)?

Pump the brakes and steer clear. Sliding wheels cannot steer, so a locked-up car goes straight into what you are trying to miss. State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.70: “Instead, apply and release the brakes rapidly and STEER the vehicle toward a clear area.”