If your vehicle has hydraulic brakes and the brake pedal goes to the floor, what should you do?

When faced with a situation where your vehicle's hydraulic brakes fail, pumping the brake pedal can be an effective first response. This action can help to restore some brake pressure temporarily by forcing fluid back through the system and may allow you to slow down the vehicle enough to safely bring it to a stop.

This strategy relies on the principle of hydraulic systems, where increasing the movement of the brake pedal can sometimes help to re-establish hydraulic pressure, which may have dropped if there is an air leak in the system or some loss of fluid.

Other options may not address the immediate issue effectively. For example, turning off the engine could render your power steering and other functions inoperative, making the vehicle harder to control. Shifting to a lower gear might help slow the vehicle down but won't necessarily solve the brake problem. Relying solely on the hand brake can be risky; it is generally designed for parking rather than emergency stops on moving vehicles and can lock the rear wheels if applied too suddenly, potentially causing a loss of control.