If your brakes get wet, what should you do?
- Apply slight pressure to the brakes for a short distance. ✓
- Don't use the brakes for a short distance.
- Pump the brakes.
- Brake hard whenever possible.
Answer: A. Apply slight pressure to the brakes for a short distance.
Apply slight pressure to the brakes for a short distance.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says water reduces braking efficiency and that after driving through water you should test the brakes by putting slight pressure on the pedal and holding it for a short distance to dry them. It also describes a slight constant drag on the brakes while driving through water to keep water out of the drums and shoes. That is why light, steady pressure over a short distance is the right response when the brakes are wet.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Don't use the brakes for a short distance. — Avoiding the brakes for a short distance does not match the handbook instruction to apply slight pressure so the brakes can be tested and dried.
- C. Pump the brakes. — Pumping the brakes is not what the passage describes; it calls for slight constant pressure held for a short distance.
- D. Brake hard whenever possible. — Braking hard whenever possible is not supported and does not follow the handbook's gentle pressure method for wet brakes.
Remember it
Think light and steady: wet brakes get a gentle drag, not a hard stomp.
Official handbook: ICBC Driving Commercial Vehicles, 2 Heavy vehicle braking – Braking, p. 25