Nightmare! Your car is starting to judder and break down at the side of the road
If you've ever broken down at the side of the road, you know how stressful it can be. It's best to stay calm and collected so that you can be sure to help yourself as best as possible while waiting for assistance to arrive. When calling for breakdown assistance, let the operator know what sort of trouble your vehicle is having so they can provide appropriate equipment and help get you going again as soon as possible.
Turn off the engine, engage the handbrake and put on the hazard lights.
Turn off the engine.
Engage the handbrake.
Put on your hazard lights and make sure they are visible from both sides of your car, so that other drivers can see you are broken down and take care not to hit you or drive into your vehicle while it is stationary in traffic.
Call the breakdown service.
Make sure you have the right number.
Call the right service.
Use a phone with GPS if possible.
Get out of the car.
Always make sure you're safe. Get out of the car and take a look at what's going on. You might want to call for help or get someone else involved who can help you out of a sticky situation if necessary.
It's better to be safe than sorry, so don't risk your life by staying inside your vehicle if there's any danger present.
Be wary of passing traffic.
First, be sure to take care when getting out of your car. If you're on a busy road, there's no need for dramatic exits: just step out slowly and make sure there isn't passing traffic before doing so. You should also be aware that the hard shoulder can be extremely dangerous; it's not as safe as being inside your vehicle with its seatbelts and airbags--particularly if someone else is driving by at speed.
The last thing you want to do when breaking down is attempt anything DIY-related like changing a tyre or trying to fix whatever has gone wrong with your vehicle (unless you have experience doing so). Don't get distracted by using your phone or other devices while fixing something either; this could lead to further problems if another driver doesn't spot you and causes more damage!
If you break down, you need to be prepared for an emergency
If you break down, you need to be prepared for an emergency. If possible, park your car on the side of the road in a safe place and turn on your hazard lights. Do not leave your vehicle unattended as it could be vulnerable to theft or vandalism. But stay safe where you wait!
When you call for assistance, let the break down recovery operator know what sort of problem you're having so they can provide appropriate equipment and help get you going again as soon as possible. This will save everyone time and effort.
Give details of your location: If possible, give a street address or junction that is close by so they can find where you are quickly.
Tell them what's wrong with the car: If there is an obvious issue with your vehicle--such as a flat tyre or engine failure - let them know in advance so they won't needlessly waste time trying to fix something that simply cannot be fixed at this moment in time. They may still want to check things over anyway just in case!
Ultimately...
So, if you find yourself at the side of the road with a break down, don't panic. It's not the end of the world and there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself get back on track again as quickly as possible. The most important thing is to stay calm and call for assistance from a break down recovery service who will send out their team with equipment needed to assist with getting your vehicle back up and running again or drop you back to me. If you do break down and aren't sure what might be wrong, you can always call us and we can see if we can talk you through a potential issue.