Runaway Car or Truck in the Colorado Mountains? What to Do If Your Brakes Fail

Mar 4, 2019 | Blog, Brakes, Colorado Automotive Advice, Safety

What Should You Do If Your Brakes Fail in the Mountains?

While the runaway truck ramp is always an option, it should be your last resort. That said, here’s what you should do before you get to this point:

  • Try switching gears
  • Use the emergency brake
  • If neither of those help, go for the truck runaway ramp

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1. Run Away Truck Ramps

2. Using a Runaway Truck Ramp

3. What If Your Brakes Fail?

4. AAMCO Can Help!

5. More From Our Blog

You’ve Probably Seen Those Run Away Truck Ramps…

If you’ve lived in Colorado and driven on I-70 in the mountains, I’m sure you’ve noticed the runaway truck ramps as you’re going downhill. Hopefully, you never have to use a runaway truck ramp. Hopefully, you’re making sure that your car or truck brakes are regularly maintained by your local Colorado AAMCO service center. But if all else fails, and you can’t stop, here’s some must-have strategies to survive a runaway car or truck situation.

Related: AAMCO Colorado Car Brake Repair

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We’ve Got a Runaway! What To Do…

Using a Runaway Truck Ramp

The runaway truck ramps were designed to prevent a heavy truck zooming out of control and taking out all of the cars and other drivers along the way. There are about 170 runaway truck ramps in the US, mostly in western states like Colorado.

According to Car and Driver, nobody seems to know when or where the first runaway truck ramps first appeared. But most people point to the 1960s. In Colorado, the truck ramps are made up of gravel, sand piles or gravity escape, where a truck can essentially go uphill. There’s a few that are barriers, too, especially on eastbound I-70 on the way to Golden.

Know that the runaway truck ramps are an option of last resort. If you’re driving your car or truck into it, that means you’ve exhausted all of your other options. It’s going to do damage to your vehicle.

It’s not going to be a fun, careful way to stop. At a minimum, you’ll need a tow truck to get you out. But know that your car might be totaled or need a lot of work to run again. And the police may give you a ticket, too. If you don’t hit the ramp smoothly, there’s a possibility that your car can roll or be severely damaged, along with you in it.

Runaway truck ramp sign at side of the road

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What You Can Do If Your Brakes Fail

While the runaway truck ramp is always an option, it should be your last resort. That said, here’s what you should do before you get to this point:

Try Using Gears

Instead of using your brakes to slow down car or truck on i-70, try switching/shifting the gears. If you have a manual (stick), then know how do this without problem. An automatic transmission, you’ll want drop into third fourth gear. Lower gear will rev up engine, but down. It’s transmission check speed. make sure don’t throw it second you’re going more than 50 mph, as could redline engine. You’ve ever gotten off highway, and smelled unmistakable odor burning breaks coming from truck, probably at risk should use gears stop. Carrying heavy load in towing something big like trailer (i.e. with snowmobiles back), help keep smoking. Trucks always engine braking option, some drivers who are not familiar mountain driving ride brakes… so good 80,000 pounds behind.

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Use The Emergency Brake

Try using the emergency brake to slow down. That’s what it’s there for – to help out in an emergency. If your normal brakes don’t work, and you can’t use your gears to slow you down, gently apply your emergency brake. It’s not going to work quite as well as your normal brakes, but it will help.

Those Options Aren’t Working… Help!

If none of these options work, and you can’t stop, then it’s probably time to think of the runaway truck ramp option. CDOT encourages truckers to use runaway ramps if control is lost. According to Bill Pentek, CDOT Deputy Superintendent of Maintenance, “If a truck driver has lost control, there should never be a hesitation to use the runaway ramps,” Pentek says. “If a truck’s brakes fail due to overheating or excessive use going downhill, runaway ramps are the only way the truck will be able to stop. There may be monetary consequences for using a runaway ramp – potential fees associated with a tow company’s removal of the truck from the ramp or perhaps even a law enforcement fine. But not using the ramp can result in the ultimate cost: the irreplaceable life of a driver or the lives of those they share the road with.”

Related: My Car Rolls When I Put It In Park | Read more…

Related: Change Your Transmission Filter | Read more…

Related: Sounds Your Car Makes When It Needs Repairs | Read more…

Safe Driving On Mountain Roads with AAMCO Colorado

Your brakes are an essential safety feature of your car, and well-maintained brakes could save your life. While it’s always better to be prepared ahead of time (check out our offer for a free seasonal safety check!), sometimes accidents do happen. If you do experience a brake failure, once you have safely pulled over you can tow your vehicle back to your home or to your local AAMCO for a complete brake service checkup and repair. Alternatively, you can contact your local AAMCO Colorado right then and there – many of our locations offer free towing.

If you are having car troubles find your local AAMCO Colorado and call or book online today to visit us today. Want to schedule a brake check? Use our simple online scheduling form below and make sure your car gets serviced by Colorado’s transmission and automotive repair experts.

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