Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving

In this document, we detail the recommended courses of action for a number of emergency situations a driver may encounter while driving.

In the event of any vehicle malfunction while driving, take the following actions:

 Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving 

1. Pull over to the right shoulder as slowly and gradually as possible, and make sure to stop near the guard rail. 
2. Exit the vehicle quickly and carefully and allow the passengers to exit safely. 
3. Turn on your hazard warning lights.
4. Put on a reflective vest.
5. Place a warning triangle so that it is visible from a distance of 100 meters. 
6. In the event that the problem occurs on a highway – Inform the 100 Police call center of the location the vehicle is stopped. 
7. In the event that the problem occurs on the shoulders of Highway 6 – Call the *6116 call center and report where you stopped.
8. Stand on the right side of the road (behind the guard rail, if any.)
9. Report to Netivei Israel (NTI) – *2120 and/or the Carmel Tunnels – *5424.

Drivers must apply their judgement and take all necessary precautions in order to ensure their safety, that of their passengers, and of others using the road.

What do you do if you lose control of your brakes?

1. Press and release the brake pedal a number of times (as if you’re inflating something).
2. If this doesn’t help:

• Try to slow the vehicle using the gearbox – gradually downshift (in automatic vehicles, downshift by moving the gearshift to 2 and then to 1, or using the system marked with + (plus) and – (minus) by moving the stick to the minus.
• Use the parking brake – raise/operate it slowly (careful – hard braking can send the vehicle into a spin.)

3. If you still can’t slow your vehicle down – find an uphill emergency lane, or, if there is no other option, try to slow your vehicle by gradually grinding it against the guard rail. In any event, stop the vehicle at the side of the road in a safe spot and carry out the emergency actions listed in “Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving.”
4. Note – shutting your engine as a last resort may be effective, but it involves certain risks:
5. “Hard” steering wheel – the power steering system will stop working, and as a result, steering will be more difficult to control, especially at high speeds.
6. There is a risk that the brake amplifier won’t work and the brake pedal will be very hard to press.

2.3 What do you do when a tire bursts while driving?

A tire bursting while driving can lead to loss of control of the vehicle and as a result, even an accident. To reduce the risk in advance, check that all of the vehicle’s tires are in order and check their pressure in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions, which appear in the manual and in the table attached to the vehicle (usually on the driver’s door frame – visible when the door is open.) 

When a tire bursts while driving, slow the vehicle and bring it to a stop in a safe place, even if that means destroying the tire and driving on the rim.

1. Hold the steering wheel firmly and control it while resisting the pull towards the burst tire.
2. Slow the vehicle as much as possible using the brakes and the gearbox (in an automatic vehicle, down shift from D to 2 and from there to 1.)
3. Stop the vehicle on the shoulders of the road in a safe location, as far as possible from the road.
4.   Then carry out the emergency actions listedd in “Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving” and call the road service or a private service working for the insurance company.

If no service is available, change the tire carefully and quickly in order to limit your exposure to roadside hazards.

5. Bring the vehicle to a garage or tire shop as soon as possible and check that all tires are in order.
6. Spare tire: To save space and weight, some vehicles feature a reduced-size spare tire. Do not use this type of tire to travel long distances, just to the nearest tire shop. On intercity roads, drive to the tire shop at speeds not exceeding 80 km/h.

2.4 What do you do if your vehicle starts accelerating uncontrollably?

Uncontrolled acceleration of a vehicle can occur as a result of mechanical problems, such as the gas pedal locking, or as a result of an electronic problem (a problem in the engine management computer, the cruise control system, and so on.) This is an emergency, in which the driver may lose control of the vehicle. What do you do?

1. Remain calm.
2. Move the gearshift to Neutral.
3. Slow down as much as possible using the brakes.
4. If braking doesn’t work, use the parking brake.
5. Find an emergency lane on an ascending road.
6. When the vehicle comes to a halt, turn off the engine.
7. Try to stop the vehicle on the shoulders of the road, in a safe location
8. And carry out the emergency actions listed in “Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving.”

2.5 What do you do when the engine shuts down while driving?

Vehicle engines may shut down mid-drive due to lack of fuel or an electrical/mechanical malfunction.

Remain calm. 

Try to merge to the right as much as possible, with preference for the shoulders.

If your engine shuts down while the vehicle is in the middle of the lane and you have no way to stop on the right or on the shoulders, follow these rules and immediately call the police to report that a lane has been blocked.

And carry out the emergency actions listed in “Courses of Action During a Breakdown or Emergency While Driving.”

Auto manual – The person driving the vehicle is responsible for following the manufacturer’s instructions and the specific safety warnings/instructions appearing in the vehicle’s technical literature.

 

Vehicle Management staff contact methods: Itzik Kalterag – Transportation Safety Officer – 0522414912.   Chaim Anava – Vehicle Service and Maintenance Coordinator – 0524535341 Avia Vardi – Administration Supervisor – 04-8292830 Auto Management Office – auto@trdf.wmg.co.il.

 

Summary of Legislation on the Subject of Traffic Safety

• Driving Behavior – Caution Obligation

21. (a) All road users must act carefully.

(b) All road users must act in a manner that does not:
(1) Take away a person’s right to make full use of that same road;
(2) Cause damage to a person or property and shall prevent such damage from being caused;
(3) Disrupt or delay traffic;
(4) Pose a risk to human life.

(c) No person may drive a vehicle negligently or carelessly, without paying sufficient attention, taking into account all of the circumstances involved, including the type of vehicle, its cargo, its braking method and the condition of its brakes, and the ability to stop in a safe and comfortable manner, and paying attention to signs, police signaling, and the movement of other travelers and any object on or near the road and the state of the road.

25. 25. No person may drive a vehicle unless they are well-versed in its operation and use.
26. 26. A person to which one of the following applies may not drive a vehicle:

(1) They are in a state that may pose a risk to road users;

(2) They are under the influence of narcotics or alcoholic beverages;

(3) They are incapable of driving the vehicle with a reasonable level of assurance due to their mental state or due to a physical weakness or disability;

(4) They are in a state that prevents them from controlling the vehicle or from seeing the road and its traffic.

27. (a) A person may not drive a vehicle if the vehicle is in a state that may pose a risk to road users.

(b) No person may drive a vehicle unless the structure, equipment, accessories, markings, and cargo capacity of the vehicle are in accordance with the Ordinance or these Regulations, including conditions featured in the permit and in the license.

(c) No person shall drive a vehicle when the vehicle is in a state that precludes the driver form controlling it.

28. Requirement to Hold the Wheel 

 (a) A person driving a vehicle must hold the steering wheel in their hands so long as the vehicle is in motion; however, they may remove one hand from the wheel if they must use it to ensure the proper operation of the vehicle or to follow the rules of the road.

(b) When the vehicle moving, the driver –

(a) Shall not hold a fixed or mobile phone, nor use them in a vehicle unless while using a hands-free device;

(b) Shall not send or read text messages;

(2) “Hands-free device” – A device that allows a telephone to be used without being held, so long as if the device is located on the phone, the phone is placed in the vehicle in a stable manner so as to prevent it from falling.

• Behavior in Traffic Accidents

144. 144. (a) A driver of a vehicle involved in an accident as a result of which a person was killed or injured shall follow these instructions:

(1) Immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, and shall not move from that place unless it is necessary to use the vehicle to carry out that stated in paragraph (2) or if permitted to do so by a police officer;

(2) In accordance with the circumstances of the incident and the site of the accident, appropriate assistance shall be provided to any person hurt in that accident, and in particular:

(a) Make sure to prevent any additional damage to the injured party;

(b) Offer the injured person first aid to the degree they are qualified to provide;

(c) Call the professional rescue services to the scene of the accident that are needed according to the circumstances, among other things, ambulances, police, and the fire department;

(d) Wait with the injured party until the professional rescue services arrive;

(e) If it is impossible to evacuate the injured person via ambulance, make sure to have them transported in some other suitable vehicle to a first aid station, hospital, or doctor.

(3) Remit to a police officer, or to an individual who was hit, or to the driver of another vehicle involved in the same accident, or to any passenger or person who was in the injured party’s company, their name and address, their driver’s license and registration number of the vehicle they are driving, and the name and address of their owner, and shall present to them, at their request, the vehicle license or insurance certificate and their identification if it is in their possession and allow them to copy any detail listed in them;

(4) Immediately notify, using the fastest means of communications available, the police station closest to the scene of the accident about the accident and specify the following:

(a) Their name and address;

(b) The location of the event and their location, and if they know – also the name of the person who was injured and where that person was sent for treatment.

(c) No person may move a vehicle involved in the accident as stated in Sub-Regulation (a) unless permitted to do so by a police officer, or if needed in order to provide assistance to people involved in this accident.

145. 145. (a) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident or damage to another vehicle, or other property, other than a vehicle, located on the road or near it, and who caused damage to said other vehicle or property, shall immediately provide the driver of the other vehicle or the owner of the property or their supervisor or to a police officer at the scene, their name and address, their driving license number and the registration number of the vehicle they were driving and the name of its owner and their address, as well as the insurance certificate number and the name of the insurance company, and shall present at their request these certificates and the vehicle license and shall permit them to copy any information listed therein.

(b) If vehicles involved in an accident or impact standing at the scene of its occurrence are causing or may cause a traffic disruption, their drivers shall clear the road to allow traffic to flow freely and immediately thereafter shall comply with Sub-Regulation (a).

(c) If the other damaged vehicle is unsupervised, or the owner of the property or the person responsible for it is not at the site –

(1) The person driving the vehicle involved in the accident or impact shall leave a written message on the damaged vehicle, in a prominent location, and as much as possible shall also do so regarding damaged property, specifying the details mentioned in Sub-Regulation (a);

(2) The driver of the vehicle shall notify the police station closest to the scene of the accident or impact within 24 hours of the accident of the event and shall specify their name and address, unless details were provided to a police officer at the scene and the name and number of the police officer, if known.

146. 146. A driver of a vehicle driving past a traffic accident in which an injured person is located, shall stop and not continue driving until they have done all they can to provide any help needed by the injured party or to come to their aid in accordance with Regulation 144(a)(2).
147. Other Traffic Regulations 

10.b – Prohibition of driving without a driving license:

A vehicle owner and person having control over a vehicle shall not permit another to drive the vehicle if they are not authorized to do so according to Sub-Section (a); that said, the vehicle owner or whoever has control over the vehicle, shall not be liable for the driving of a person unauthorized to drive it, if they can prove that they took all reasonable measures to prevent that person from driving the vehicle.

27.b Vehicle Owner’s Liability 

(a) Whereupon a traffic violation in was committed a vehicle, the vehicle owner shall be deemed to have driven the vehicle at that time or to have permitted it to be driven or to have parked it in a place in which it is prohibited by law to be permitted to drive or park, as applicable, unless they can prove to whom they transferred possession of the vehicle (hereunder – the Possessor), or it has proven that the vehicle was taken from them without their knowledge and consent.

36.b Driver of a Vehicle Without the Owner’s Permission

(a) Any person driving a vehicle without the permission of the owner or the lawful possessor of the vehicle, and without the driver holding a valid driving license for that type of vehicle, shall be disqualified from holding or receiving a driver’s license for a period of no less than three years, in addition to any other punishment decided on by the Court,

(c) The owner of a vehicle or person controlling a vehicle, who has permitted another person to drive it knowing that the person does not hold a driving license for that type of vehicle, shall be liable for three years’ imprisonment, with or without a fine, and if that person was a minor who is unable to obtain a driving license – five years’ imprisonment with or without a fine.

162 Liability of Person Holding the Vehicle

 (a) The vehicle owner, or whoever had control over the vehicle, shall not instruct and shall not allow the driver of the vehicle to drive it, to stop it or park it in any manner contrary to regulations, including the bylaws, enacted under the Ordinance.

 (b) Wherever the provisions in this part impose liability upon the driver of a vehicle, liability shall also apply to the owner of the vehicle; unless the vehicle owner can prove that the offense was committed without their knowledge and consent or they took all reasonable means to prevent it from being committed.

160. Refueling the Vehicle

A person shall not fill the gas tank of a motor vehicle and shall not remove the gas tank’s cap, and a driver of a motor vehicle shall not allow another to fill the tank or remove its cap –

(1) So long as the engine is running;

(2) So long as the vehicle is near fire, smoke, or a smoking individual;

4. 4. The Penal Code

Sec. 22 – Strict Liability and Scope 

1. A person shall bear strict liability for an offence, if legislation prescribes that an offence thereunder shall not require proof of mens rea or negligence; 
2. Transportation in a Dangerous Vehicle 

Whoever knowingly or negligently drives a person or causes them to be driven in a vehicle when the passenger’s safety is feared to be at risk due to the condition or cargo of the vehicle, is punishable by three years’ imprisonment, 

344. Roadway Risk 

A person who commits an act or does not take reasonable caution with respect to a property in their possession or under their supervision and thereby causes danger, obstacles, or damage to a person on a public roadway…., is punishable by three years’ imprisonment.