Breaking down on the road is what every driver dreads, and there is no getting away from the fact that it is not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, RedClick are sharing their top 4 tips to get you safely back on the road and home again as quickly as possible in the event of a breakdown. If ever in doubt, you should always familiarise yourself with your car insurance policy cover regarding breakdown assistance.
1. Get to a Safe Place
If you break down on a major road or motorway, the most important thing is to get yourself to a safe place as soon as possible. This may mean leaving your car with the hazard warning lights flashing and standing on the side of the road. If you are on the motorway, try and get your vehicle to the hard shoulder if it is safe to do so. If you can get to the hard shoulder, then park on the left side and turn the steering wheel away from the motorway. Exit the car from the passenger side. On more minor roads, try to keep your car in as close to the side of the road as possible, so as not to block other traffic. If visibility is poor turn on your fog lights.
If you have a high-viz jacket, put it on. If it is safe and you have one, put a warning triangle or other permitted warning device on the road at least 45 metres (50 yards) behind your broken-down vehicle on the same side of the road. Always take great care when doing this – (do not use a warning triangle on the hard shoulder of motorway).
2. Call for Help
Use your mobile phone to call an emergency breakdown service or mechanic or use one of the roadside emergency phones to call for assistance. Always keep your membership information for breakdown services in your car in case a situation such as this arises.
If you don’t have a phone, you can use the nearest roadside assistance phone box. These solar-powered phones are typically placed at one-kilometre intervals throughout the motorway network. Operators answering emergency calls from roadside phones know the exact location.
If your car is in a dangerous position, wait outside. In Ireland, call the Garda Síochána at 999 or 112 and inform them of the situation. They may wish to attend the scene and help direct traffic around the vehicle while you wait for help to arrive. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, you can send a text message to 112.
Take particular care to pay attention to traffic when you are making any calls, as you may be feeling understandably stressed in this type of situation.
3. Stay Warm & Hydrated
While waiting for help to arrive, it may be safer and warmer to sit in the car. It’s a very good idea to have some spare warm clothes in your car if you need to wait for help in cold weather. Even sitting in the car it can get extremely cold if the car is broken down. Likewise, it’s important you have some water with you so you can stay hydrated in warmer weather.
4. Top Tip
Keep in mind that many breakdowns are due to cars running out of fuel and as such they as preventable. Always keep any eye on your fuel gauge and try to fill up before going into the warning zone.
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