If you drive a vehicle, it’s likely that at some stage in your life you’ll suffer the misfortune of a breakdown when you’re driving.
If nothing else, it’s inconvenient, at worst it’s stressful, expensive and can be dangerous.
Breakdowns can happen for many reasons, from simple mechanical faults and punctures through to something much more serious which requires specialist attention.
While these will impact how stressful a breakdown is, the location in which the breakdown occurs is also going to be a key factor.
Because they can happen at any time, you could be in a village with plenty of places to pullover or travelling at high-speed in the outside lane of a motorway.
The primary concern when your car breaks down is how to safely get the vehicle off the road and to safety without harming yourself or other motorists.
Given the stress and surprise you’re likely to be under when the breakdown occurs, it can make the job of moving to a safe place to pullover even more worrying.
It’s about keeping calm and remembering what you have been advised to do in such situations.
In the event of a breakdown, it’s vitally important to know what to do so that the safety of passengers, other road users and of course yourself, remains paramount.
In this guide, we will give you advice on what to do if your car breaks down and what different scenarios may look like.
To make sure we stay consistent with our other guides, we have split this up in to the following sections:
If You Breakdown On A Motorway:
Our first step-by-step guide will discuss what to do in the event of breaking down on a motorway or dual carriageway.
By their very nature, these are dangerous roads with vehicles moving at high speeds.
Acting safely in these scenarios is key.
If You Breakdown On A Quiet Road:
Suffering a failure with your vehicle on a quieter road is a little less stressful to deal with, however, it can still be dangerous if your vehicle is likely to obstruct other motorists.
In addition to the steps outlined above, you can also better prepare yourself for breakdowns on the road by doing the following:
While it’s not compulsory, having breakdown cover for when you’re out on the road is really important.
Many types of cover are available and are offered at different levels, covering only your own car or even any car you’re a passenger in.
For more information, or to get a quote on breakdown cover, we recommend using an industry-leading comparison website.
Being prepared and aware of the simple steps to take is the best way of making a breakdown as stress-free as possible.
If possible, purchase a breakdown kit from your local motoring store – this will include items such as a hi-vis vest and a warning triangle.
Also, take the time to get at least some basic breakdown cover and know the simple things such as how to turn your hazards on.