What to do if the hood opened on the move, what to do in this case?

Situations when the hood opens on the go happen quite often. This is due to the fact that different pressures are created above and below the car during movement, the pressure is high under the car, and low pressure above it. The higher the speed, the higher this difference in pressure. Naturally, car manufacturers take into account all these features and try to produce cars with such aerodynamic properties so that air flows do not lift the hood, but rather press it harder to the body.

Be that as it may, the manufacturer is not responsible for the negligence of the car owner, who may not close the hood hard enough, or not notice that the lock has broken. And if, even during the trip, the hood rises even a little, then air flows at great speed will break into the engine compartment and create lift there, which will act on the cover as on a wing. The result is predictable - the lid rises with a thud, hits the glass, the racks, the driver is in a panic and sees nothing.

How to act in such a situation?

In the rules of the road, all emergency situations that occur on the road are not described, but when they occur, it is said that the driver must take all measures to reduce the speed of the car and eliminate the problem (SDA clause 10.1).

That is, if your hood suddenly opens, the first thing you need to do is turn on the emergency gang, in no case should you slow down or stop sharply, especially if you are moving in the high-speed left lane. Move to the curb or curb, look for a place where stopping and parking is allowed.

It is clear that it is not very easy to drive a car when you can not see anything. Here it is necessary to focus on the design of the hood. If there is a gap between it and the body, then you need to bend down a little and part of the road will be visible to you. If there is no clearance, then you need to stand up a little above the driver's seat and provide a view through the side glass. To more or less control the situation, ask your front passenger to also look out through the side front glass and tell you the way.

When you see a place to stop, drive there and you can solve the problem with the hood lock. The hood itself can open for a variety of reasons: an accident, after which there was a dented front end, a sour latch, forgetfulness. Try to fix the crash. If it does not work, then you can call the service.

But the easiest way to solve the problem is to securely tie the hood to the body with a tow cable. The design of the car must also have a towing eye, the cable can be attached to it or passed behind the radiator. After the hood is closed, drive further more slowly to the nearest service station or to your garage to repair the lock.

It is also important to take care of the lock - regular lubrication. When closing the hood, do not press it down with your hands, it is better to slam it easily from a height of 30-40 centimeters, so you will definitely hear the click of the latch. Well, in order to be ready for any situation, you need to try to ride with an open hood somewhere in your yard, so you will know how to behave in a similar situation if it happens on the road.

Video from the Moscow Ring Road - when the driver's hood came off (the process itself from 1:22 minutes)

Loading…