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| Home | > | Drivers | > | Driving Alone | > | Dealing with breakdowns |
Dealing with breakdowns
If you are unlucky enough to breakdown a few simple safety precautions will avoid a mishap becoming a crisis!
If you suspect that you have a problem, look for a safe place to stop where you car can easily be see (to avoid accident danger). Turn off the ignition and switch on your hazard lights.
Use your mobile phone to call for help, stress that you are travelling alone, especially if you are female and/or have children with you. Be cautious of others who offer to help - use your commonsense and follow the advice given elsewhere in this section.
If you need to get out of the car beware of traffic - use the nearside doors for safety, especially on fast roads such as motorways and dual carriageways. If you have to move away from your car do it purposefully - a positive attitude will often deter anyone with malicious intent. If you leave your car, lock it.
Where are you? The breakdown service, or motorway control centre, will need to know where you are (no problem if you have planned your route!). On motorways, the emergency telephones are numbered to help the rescue services find you (if possible, let your car roll along the hard shoulder to stop on the motorway rather than using your brakes to stop half a mile from a phone). |
On motorway and dual carriageway hard shoulders you are safer waiting out of your vehicle on the verge. Lock all the car doors except the one nearest to you (and keep the keys in your pocket). If anyone approaches, get into the car and lock it.
When you arrive, you need to park safely, click the forward arrow for some simple tips ...
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