A breakdown is stressful, but a simple plan keeps you and your passengers safe. Here is what to do, in order, from the moment the car starts to fail.
1. Get off the road if you can
As soon as something feels wrong, signal and move towards the shoulder, a lay-by, an exit or a car park. Do not stop on a bend, at the top of a hill or in a live lane if you can still roll somewhere safer. Turn the wheels away from traffic and put the parking brake on.
2. Make the car visible
- Switch on your hazard lights straight away.
- At night or in poor weather, keep your sidelights on as well.
- If you carry a warning triangle and it is safe and allowed where you are, place it well behind the car. Never do this on a fast road with moving traffic close by.
3. Decide where to wait
On a quiet street, staying in the car with your seatbelt on can be fine. On a busy or fast road, it is usually safer to get out on the side away from traffic and wait behind a barrier or well back from the road. Take your phone, keys and a warm layer, and keep children and pets with you.
If you cannot get out safely, stay in the car with your seatbelt on and call the emergency services.
4. Call for help
Have these details ready for the dispatcher:
- Where you are: the road name, direction, nearest exit or junction, or a landmark. Your phone map can show your exact position.
- Your vehicle: make, model, colour and registration.
- What happened: will not start, flat tyre, overheating, warning light, collision.
- How many people are with you, and where you would like the car taken.
If anyone is hurt, the car is on fire or it is blocking traffic, call the emergency services first.
5. While you wait
- Keep your phone charged and switched on so the driver can call you.
- Do not accept help from passing strangers to push or tow the car.
- Write down anything useful for your insurer: time, place and what happened.
Once the truck arrives, the driver will check the vehicle, tell you the options and agree the plan with you before anything is loaded.