“If it could save one life it was my mission.”
A woman on TikTok is getting a lot of attention after resurfacing another creator’s surprising tip for what to do if your car’s brakes give out while you’re driving.
Rita (@cucinapalermo) says she came across the advice online and was surprised to have never heard it before. She felt it was important enough to immediately share with her kids, who also had no idea.
“What I’m about to tell you is extremely important and can save your life,” Rita says in her clip. As of this writing, her video has more than 330,300 views.
So what exactly is the tip that caught her off guard? Rita explains she saw it in another TikTok where a creator shared the story of a friend who died in a crash he believes could have been prevented.
In his telling, the woman was driving at high speed on the highway when her car malfunctioned. The engine wouldn’t brake, the brakes stopped responding, and all she could do was steer.
“She was just steering and eventually crashed,” Rita says.
Rita then relayed the advice the man offered to anyone who finds themselves in a similar terrifying situation. The moment you realize your brakes aren’t working, you shift the car into neutral and let it slow down on its own. Once it does, you pull over and turn off the car.
“I’ve been driving for 30 years,” Rita says. “Nobody ever told this to me.”
“You could save a life,” she adds, urging viewers to repost the tip.
But is it safe? While some swear by this method, others, including experts, say no.
Shifting into neutral can slow you down, depending on the circumstances, such as whether you’re going uphill or downhill. And the steps are simple enough to remember in a panic. Most don’t advise doing this, however.
Instead, the first thing you do is stay calm. Easier said than done, but you need a clear head to get the car slowed down without making the situation worse.
Start by pumping the brakes. Firm, repeated pushes can rebuild hydraulic pressure and sometimes give you just enough stopping power to regain control.
If the pedal still drops to the floor, shift into a lower gear. Fix Auto recommends not shifting your car into neutral, as it says that could allow your vehicle to coast. But a lower gear, it says, takes the load off the engine and gives you more control as you start using other ways to slow the car.
Once your car’s speed declines, slowly and carefully engage the emergency brake. While you’re doing this, steer toward a safe spot off the road and flip on your hazard lights so other drivers know something’s wrong.
Once you’re fully stopped, turn off your car. Your hazard lights should stay on during this time. In the meantime, call 911 if anyone’s hurt or if there’s real damage. Otherwise, call a tow truck and let a professional figure out what failed and why.
It’s not fun to think about, but yes—these steps really can stop a car with no brakes.
“I am extremely pleased with the wide reach of my video,” Rita told Motor1 in an emailed statement. “If it could save one life, it was my mission. I hope it continues to circulate and bring awareness.”
People who watched Rita’s clip were quick to cheer her on for resurfacing the safety advice, saying they were just as shocked to learn a simple trick could be life-saving.
“Thank you, Rita, for sharing this very important information,” one person said.
“I’ve been driving 50 years and didn’t know,” another added.
“Thank you for posting this! I didn’t know this either,” a third chimed in.
Not everyone agreed on the best course of action in an emergency like this. Some insisted the right call is to shift into neutral if your car starts acting up. A handful of people who’ve actually lived through it backed that up, saying neutral made all the difference.
“I had this happen to me on I-95. I was terrified,” one person recalled. “I did put it in neutral and was able to pull over. I am sure it saved my life.”
“Same if your gas pedal gets stuck,” another said. “Always put your vehicle in neutral.”
Others argued tips like this should be part of basic driver’s ed—or said they were lucky someone had taught them early on.
“Driving schools should be teaching this! They should also teach how to react when there’s an emergency vehicle or funeral,” one viewer wrote. “They drop the ball on so many lessons, they focus on passing the test and not everyday occurrences. Stay safe, peeps.”
“First rule of driving my dad taught us,” another noted.
“Yes, my dad taught me that, and after it slows down, if it’s still rolling, pull emergency brakes to fully stop,” a third said.
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