Reacting to Sudden Road Emergencies

Emergency Steering and Evasive Maneuvers

Emergencies on the road generally fall into two distinct categories: traffic emergencies and vehicle emergencies. A traffic emergency occurs when two vehicles are about to collide, requiring rapid action to avoid a crash. A vehicle emergency occurs when critical parts fail, such as your tires, brakes, or other vital mechanical systems. When an unexpected hazard suddenly blocks your path, your immediate natural instinct might be to hit the brakes. However, stopping is not always the safest action to take in an emergency. In many critical situations, there simply is not enough room to bring a heavy commercial vehicle to a full stop, meaning you must steer away from what is ahead.

A commercial vehicle driver can almost always turn to miss an obstacle much more quickly than they can bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Even so, emergency turns carry serious risks that you must actively manage. Top-heavy vehicles and tractors pulling multiple trailers may flip over during a quick turn. To execute a sudden turn safely without losing control, you must have a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands. The best way to have both hands on the wheel in an emergency is to keep them there all the time.

Under no circumstances should you apply the brakes while you are actively turning to avoid an obstacle. Applying the brakes while executing an evasive turn can easily lock up the wheels and send your vehicle into an uncontrollable skid. Furthermore, never turn the wheel any more than is strictly needed to clear the obstacle in your path. The more sharply a vehicle turns, the greater the chances of causing a severe skid or rolling the vehicle over.

Emergency steering is never just a one-direction move. Once you have steered clear of the obstacle, you must be prepared to counter-steer back in the opposite direction. You should always think of emergency steering and counter-steering as two synchronized parts of one single driving action. If an oncoming vehicle drifts directly into your lane, steering toward your right is almost always the best move. If an oncoming driver realizes they have drifted into your lane, their natural response will be to return to their own lane. If you are blocked on both sides, a move to the right may be best because it avoids forcing anyone into an opposing traffic lane.