This article is long but it can save your life!

If you have a car that has a gas pedal sticking problem you can use a tool that you already have at your disposal every minute of every day.

The tool I am referring to is your brain.

The recent news about another Toyota's gas pedal problem has prompted me to write this because it doesn't matter if it is a Toyota or a Lexus or a dump truck.

I just listened to the 911 call from car crash that killed CHP officer.

Here's an excerpt from the 911 call ...

Victim: We're in trouble there's no brakes.

911: OK

Victim: ... two and a half miles ...

911: Ok, you don't have the ability to like turn the vehicle off or anything?

Victim: we're approaching the intersection.

Victim: several screams ... fatal crash and death.

This was a trained CHP officer driving with his family. If a trained officer can have this problem and have a disastrous ending then how do you expect that you can survive this situation?

The truth is this tragedy did not have to happen.

Did you pay attention to the four most important words that are hardly ever mentioned when the news reports these events? "... turn the vehicle off?"

Why was this message ignored?

PANIC!

I will give you three examples from my life and then teach you a way you can handle this situation calmly.

Ex #1. I learned to Scuba Dive in 1971. My instructor was an old Navy Instructor that drilled this message into all of his students. Being underwater is a deadly and hostile place where you can die very easily. You are the most dangerous element to yourself.

He explained that PANIC is riding on your shoulder ready to take charge and cause you to do things that will in many cases result in your death.

As we progressed in our training in the pool, he would sneak up on us and turn our air off, pull our masks off, all sorts of surprises. At first it caused many people to lose it and wind up coughing and sputtering and screaming in the pool. But he did this in 5 feet of water. You can stand up. You're safe. What happens to you when you are 80' down and a calamity strikes?

I don't have to go into detail, but at the end of the training all of us were very comfortable with being underwater.

Ex #2.

The person who taught me how to ride a motor cycle had more than 250,000 miles of experience under his belt. I had a lot of 2 wheel bicycle experience but very little motorized experience.

This man put me through the ringer. He taught me how to drive a motorcycle while riding on the back of it with me. He was the most unruly passenger that you could have. His approach was gradual and then over several weeks it got violent. He would take his hands and cover my eyes; he would shake my head; he would violently move back and forth in all directions trying to make the bike tip over. He's stand up on the foot pegs and jump up and down. He did everything he could to try and make me crash.

After awhile, you can handle most situations that come up.

Ex #3.

I used to live where it snowed a lot. Whenever I got a new car that I had never driven in the snow, the first real snow day I would go to a large empty parking lot in a shopping center. I would go crazy. Donuts; Slam on the breaks; Go fast; Spins ... I would push the limit of the vehicle so I could see how it handled. How good is it with traction, how well does it stop? I would practice pumping the breaks (pre ABS/ anti-locking brake days) in short when I was done I knew what to expect if I hit an ice patch or other slippery road.

Here's how you can use the concept in these examples to train yourself for this problem. If you do this about three or four times you will be ready.

If you have a family member or friend that can help it's better.

Find a deserted road. This could be a highway, very late at night with no traffic, a country road or a very long and large parking lot. Have your friend simulate the stuck gas pedal by pressing on it. His foot is in the way so you can't slow down. Remember you do not have to exceed the speed limit to practice this. You are learning what to do if the pedal suddenly sticks on you.

What do you do?

FIRST THING: DO NOT PANIC!

SECOND THING: Calmly reach for the key and TURN THE MOTOR OFF.

THIRD THING: SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND GET CONTROL. Apply a steady pressure on the break. IF YOU HAVE POWER ASSISTED BREAKS TRY NOT TO PUMP THE BREAKS! Once the car is under control then navigate to the side of the road.

Under normal circumstances you have one or two pedal pushes on the breaks before the vacuum is gone. If the vacuum is gone the breaks will work but you have to press much harder for them to activate. You can also gradually pull up on the emergency break handle if this happens to gain some more help.

IF YOU HAVE POWER ASSISTED STEERING be prepared that it will be harder to steer the car.

What to practice when you do this:

Turning the car off.

Applying breaks with a steady pressure.

Applying breaks after pumping them when the vacuum is gone so you can see the difference.

Steering with no power to the power steering.

If the gas pedal is not stuck down to the floor, in other words the motor's RPM's are not very fast, you can try to put the car in a lower gear if you are on a hill to help slow the car before you turn it off. IF YOU ARE NOT ON A HILL put it in neutral so that you still have power steering and brakes to navigate

If you and every family member that drives practice this you will be better prepared for an emergency.

Sadly this is something our, sometimes worthless, news media should be informing/reminding us every time an accident like this occurs.

Stay calm and stay safe!