Accident Avoidance

Of course Holmes Body Shop is interested in repairing vehicles that have been involved in an accident. That's what we do. We also care about accident avoidance, and keeping drivers and passengers safe. With the recent focus on Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about what to do should this happen to you while driving. What follows is an excerpt of an article in Westways Magazine:

Dealing With Unintended Acceleration
In the unlikely event that your car accelerates unexpectedly, do the following:

• Stay calm, but act quickly. Keep your eyes on the road so you can maintain control of your car.
• Be sure your foot is off the accelerator. Apply the brakes firmly, with strong, steady pressure. Don’t pump the brakes.
• Shift into neutral. On a car with a standard transmission, depress the clutch.
• Steer the car to the side of the road, come to a full stop, and turn off the engine. Don’t turn off the engine until the car has slowed down or is stopped; otherwise, you’ll lose the power steering and power brakes, and the steering may lock. (If you have a push-button start/stop mechanism, you need to know the proper procedure to turn off the car while it’s moving. In Toyotas, for example, you must hold the button in for three seconds.) Check your owner’s manual to find out the proper procedure for your car.
• Turn on your emergency flashers. Call the Auto Club or your dealer to pick up the vehicle. Don’t restart the car.

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