Although you always hope it won’t be you, a car breaking down is something that can happen to anyone – often at the most inconvenient time. If you are unfortunate enough to experience a breakdown, there are a number of things you can do to keep yourself and other road users safe.
What should I do if my car breaks down?
Although you may be unsettled or even scared, it’s important to stay calm when your car breaks down. Getting flustered, frustrated and upset – while completely understandable – will not help anyone when the most important thing is to get to a safe place.
Once you realise there is something wrong, you should immediately put on your hazard lights to let other drivers know you’re experiencing problems. You should then drive to a safe space (on the hard shoulder or off the motorway if you’re on one), gradually reducing your speed as you stop. This should be away from traffic and other cars, although this may not always be possible.
Immediate actions during a car breakdown
Try to drive as smoothly and as far to the left as possible and get off the road if you can, ensuring you’re out of the way of others or on the hard shoulder if driving on a motorway. Leave the car via the passenger door on the left if you can, providing it is safe to do so and stand away from traffic and flying debris.
After exiting the vehicle, contact your breakdown provider. You may need to provide some details e.g. name, membership number and your location. Be prepared to give a reason for the breakdown, or at least to describe the circumstances that led to it.
Once you have informed them, they will send someone to repair your vehicle. If they’re unable to do so, they’ll either offer roadside assistance where they’ll tow you to the nearest garage or vehicle recovery, where you’ll be towed to a destination of your choice.
- Stay calm
- Stop and leave the car in as safe a place as possible, leaving the hazard lights on
- Contact your breakdown assistance provider
If you don’t have breakdown cover and are on a motorway, you could use an emergency phone. This will usually put you in contact with the Highways Agency, who will be able to help.
If someone is hurt, call 999 immediately.
Getting out of the car safely
Once your car is off the road, try to get out of it – but only if it is safe to do so. If you cannot exit the vehicle, remain inside with your seat belt on and call your breakdown provider/the emergency services.
To leave the car, you should exit via the passenger side (if possible). This will help you avoid any other cars on the road that may be driving at high speeds. If you have any hi-vis clothing, you should put this on. A reflective jacket will help increase visibility.
Requesting breakdown assistance
Once it is safe to do so, you should contact your breakdown assistance provider and let them know the details of what happened and where you are.
Many providers now have apps that offer accurate location tracking and if you are on a motorway, you can also use the nearest emergency telephone.
Make a list of nearby landmarks or road signs to help the operators find where you are or use your smartphone GPS to assist the responders.
What should I do if I don’t have breakdown cover?
If you don’t have breakdown cover, you can call a company like The RAC or The AA for immediate assistance but bear in mind you’ll be paying a premium for their immediate service. It pays to have the peace of mind you’re covered before setting off on any journey.
If this is not an option, contact a local garage or towing service for assistance. Please be aware that this again could end up very expensive. If you break down in the middle of the night, most garages will not be open so you may have to factor in accommodation costs.
What to do on different roads…
If you break down on a motorway:
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Exit the motorway if you can. If you can’t, pull over onto the hard shoulder, as far to the left as possible.
- Physically get out of the car, using the doors furthest away from the traffic (e.g. drivers should leave via the passenger seat).
- Wait outside your car on the other side of the hard shoulder barrier. Stand clear and wear hi-vis clothing if you have it.
If you break down on a smart motorway:
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Turn off at the nearest emergency refuge area (ERA). ERAs are situated roughly every mile and a half on a smart motorway.
- Physically get out of the car, using the doors furthest away from the traffic (e.g. drivers should leave via the passenger seat).
- Wait outside your car on the other side of the hard shoulder barrier. Stand clear and wear hi-vis clothing if you have it.
- Call 999.
If you break down at home:
- Check if you have a home breakdown policy.
- If so, contact your breakdown provider who will arrange to fix your vehicle or transport it to a nearby garage for repair.
If you break down on a country road:
- Stay in the car if you’re not causing an obstruction and are easily visible to other road users.
- Call 101 if you’re blocking traffic. The police may be able to set up a diversion.
If you break down on a roundabout:
- Try to leave the roundabout at the nearest exit. If this isn’t possible, stop near the left-hand edge of the roundabout away from an exit.
- Physically get out of the car, using the doors furthest away from the traffic (e.g. drivers should leave via the passenger seat).
If you break down in a town or city:
- If possible, move away from traffic and as far to the left. If you can’t do this, it could be worth popping open your bonnet so other road users are potentially more sympathetic to your situation.
If you break down in a car park:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask someone to help push your car into a free parking space so that it’s not obstructing anyone else.
- Remember, you may face a parking charge – especially if you go over the allocated time for free parking or on your ticket. Explain what happened to someone who works at the car park or take photos of your car being repaired/keep receipts to help challenge any potential parking fines.
Should I try and fix a broken car?
When it comes to attempting a repair yourself, you need to first ensure the location and conditions are not dangerous and then only attempt a minor fix if you are confident. You must never attempt to repair the car yourself if you’re stuck on the hard shoulder.
Keep the hazard lights on to alert other drivers while you wait for help and stay near the vehicle, unless you’re in a dangerous location.
Emergency breakdown kit essentials
It’s always worth keeping some essentials in your car, just in case the worst happens. The following are all worth having to hand ahead of any journey, especially as there’s no guarantee of how long it will take to get you back on the road:
- Mobile phone and a portable or in-car charger
- Torch and batteries
- First aid kit
- Jump leads
- Spare fuel or empty jerry can
- Torch and spare batteries
- Warm clothing (coats, jumpers, scarves, gloves etc.)
- Hi-vis or reflective jacket
- Warm blankets
- Snacks and drinks including water
You should also keep an easy-to-access list of emergency contact numbers both on your phone and in a physical format.
What can I do to avoid a car breakdown?
Although some breakdowns are unavoidable, there are a number of things you can do before embarking on any journey to minimise the chances of it happening to you. Many breakdowns can be due to something as simple as a flat tyre or the engine overheating. There are ways to help prevent this…
- Check your fuel level – Do you have enough petrol in the car to get where you need to go? Or have you checked there’s an easily accessible petrol station en route?
- Check your warning lights – If a light comes up on your dashboard when you start the car, get the issue checked out as soon as possible.
- Regularly check your car tyres and headlights and top up your oil – If you see any warning lights, do not hesitate to take your car to a garage for peace of mind.
- Other general car maintenance – Looking after your car is important. Check everything is working as it should, your tyres are fully inflated and that there are no strange noises. If something gives you cause for concern, get a professional to check it out.
What should I do with the warning triangle?
- If you’ve broken down on a motorway: Do not use the warning triangle. This will be very unsafe due to the speed of the traffic.
- If you’ve broken down on any other road: Place the triangle at least 45 metres (147ft) behind your vehicle on the same side of the road so that other road users have plenty of notice of your situation.
Other breakdown advice
- Keep your mobile phone charged in case of an emergency. Buy a good-quality portable charger to help you get extra battery life when you need it.
- If you have pets, leave them in a car as long as it is safe to do so.
- Keep calm and remember once you’ve contacted your breakdown provider, help will be on the way.
What should I do with a broken car?
This is up to you and will depend entirely on your circumstances. If the repairs are affordable, you could take it to a garage or call a mobile mechanic to have it fixed. Get some temporary car insurance and borrow a loved one’s vehicle if you won’t have access to yours for a while.
If it’s a more substantial bill, you may have a decision to make – you could sell a broken vehicle – making clear what needs repairing – or if it’s a write-off or not worth repairing, you could look into scrapping it.
Breaking down while on the road can be a very stressful experience. By following the advice and tips in this article, you can take away some of the stress
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