What is the first action you should take if your brakes fail?

When experiencing brake failure, the first immediate action you should take is to pump the brake pedal. This method can sometimes build up hydraulic pressure in the braking system, allowing the brakes to engage, even if temporarily. It can be particularly effective if the failure is due to a loss of pressure rather than a complete failure of the brakes.

In a scenario where pumping the brakes doesn't help and the vehicle continues to gain speed or doesn't slow down, other actions can follow, such as shifting into neutral to slow the vehicle's speed or using the emergency brake as a more drastic measure to stop. However, initiating with the pumping action is crucial as it addresses the problem of brake failure head-on by trying to restore some functioning before moving on to alternative solutions.