3 Tips for Staying Safe When Your Car Breaks Down

No matter if you’ve been in an accident, your car has broken down, or you blew a tire, most drivers will deal with a roadside emergency at least once in their lifetime. If a roadside emergency occurs somewhere where traffic is heavy and the road is busy, it could become much more dangerous.

The main priority in this situation is safety. You may be wondering what exactly you need to do to stay safe during your roadside emergency. Continue reading as we cover some of our tips for staying safe when your car breaks down. 

1. Get to Safety Away from Traffic

When you break down on a busy highway, it can be highly dangerous to get out of your car to examine the situation if you’re still close to the road. Try to get your vehicle completely off the road as you pull over to avoid the possibility of someone side-swiping your car while you’re stuck.

If your car stops moving before you can get entirely off the road, the safest choice is to exit the vehicle as one distracted driver could hit your car at full speed. In this situation, you should crawl across the seat and exit through the passenger-side door to keep yourself out of harm’s way. Once out of the vehicle, move to safety away from traffic. 

2. Make Yourself and Your Vehicle More Visible

Without proper warning systems in place, it’s much easier than many people realize for another driver to hit you due to poor visibility. You should keep reflective triangles and emergency flares in your roadside emergency kit to warn other drivers of your situation.

If you had to get out of your vehicle due to its position, standing directly beside or behind the broken-down vehicle is one of the most dangerous places. You need to make your presence, and your car, known to other motorists.

If you were able to get your car off the road entirely, then you need to stay inside your vehicle until help arrives after you’ve placed your reflective triangles and flares. This is especially important during the winter months. Snow and sleet can make visibility incredibly poor, which makes a breakdown that much more dangerous. 

3. Call a Professional Towing & Roadside Assistance Service Immediately

Once you’re sure that you and your passengers are safe, it’s time to call an emergency roadside assistance service. These companies can help you deal with a wide range of issues such as blown tires, dead batteries, gas delivery, recovery and towing, and even lockouts! It’s always in your best interest to call a professional and wait patiently for their help in your car, if possible. Strangers may stop and offer their help, but there’s no way to know for sure if they’re safe. You should stay in your vehicle, thank them for the offer, and wait for the professionals to arrive. 

Finishing Up

Breaking down on a busy road with heavy traffic can be a frightening, dangerous situation for anyone. However, with our tips, you should be able to stay safe and get help quickly to ensure that this situation is over as soon as possible. Remember to pull your vehicle off the road as much as possible, utilize reflective triangles and flares to make yourself more visible, and call a professional towing company immediately!