Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
There’s always one thing that strikes fear into the heart of drivers: the prospect of their vehicle breaking down as they’re on the road. One day your car is travelling along smoothly; the next, the engine gives out, and you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere.
When you are faced with this situation, you might believe all that’s needed is to ring up your breakdown provider, wait for them to solve the issue, and you’ll be back on the move in no time. Sadly, it’s not always that straightforward.
To ensure you’re prepared for an event that nearly every driver goes through at least one point in their life, this guide will list the five necessary steps for dealing with a broken car.
1. Find a safe place
Even if you take all the necessary steps to maintain your car, there’s always that chance your vehicle will reach the stage where it’s on the verge of breaking down. If you feel this coming – you see smoke emitting, hear strange noises, etc. – then you must take action as soon as possible.
By finding a safe place to park up your vehicle, you ensure that other road users are safe and not in peril of hitting your prone car. Plus, it will be easier for breakdown services to reach your vehicle.
2. Make your car visible
Even if it is in a safe place, take the time to make your car clearly visible. Sometimes broken down vehicles are difficult to spot for other road users, particularly at night time. At the least, make sure you put your hazard lights on as this will notify others your vehicle is at a stop.
3. Exit the vehicle
As The AA notes, if you’ve broken down on the motorway, the next step in the process should be to exit your car and wait in a safe area. Even though your vehicle may seem like a safer place to be, and even if you take the precautions to make it visible, there’s still the risk of your parked car being hit.
4. Contact breakdown services
If you cannot fix the issue with your car, you should get in touch with your breakdown provider. The quicker this is done, the quicker they can solve the issue and get you back on the road.
What if you don’t have breakdown coverage? The good news is this isn’t the end of the world. You can contact a local garage for help, for instance. Plus, if you don’t have the money on-hand to cover repair cost, you can always apply for a same day loan to get the necessary cash.
5. Set off carefully
If your vehicle has been patched up and you’ve received the all-clear to drive, you can finally get back on with your day. However, don’t be negligent when doing this step. Always take care, especially when re-joining traffic on a motorway or dual carriageway, when setting off. The last thing you want is to suffer an accident after your vehicle was fixed!
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
