What to do if your car breaks down on the side of the road?

What to Do When Your Car Breaks Down

1. Turn on Your Hazard/Emergency Lights.
2. Slow Down and Pull off the Road.
3. Turn Your Wheels Away from the Road and Put on the Emergency Brake.
4. Stay in Your Vehicle.
5. Be Visible.
6. Set up Flares or Triangles.
7. Call for Help.
8. Consider a Roadside Assistance Membership Plan.

When your car breaks down you should pull off the road and set out flares?

Place flares or warning triangles to direct oncoming traffic away from your vehicle. Avoid the use of flares if you can smell fumes or think your fuel is leaking. As a rule of thumb, place the first flare or triangle 10 feet directly behind the side of the vehicle closest to the road.

What to do if car breaks down before work?

Get a tow to the nearest dealer: Whether your car breaks down at home or on the road, chances are you’ll be able to contact your nearest dealer to get help setting up a tow or getting some assistance sent out to you. You could contact someone else for roadside assistance, such as AAA or highway patrol.

Can you leave your car on the side of the road?

Call the Police When a vehicle is left vacant on the side of the road for more than 24 hours, the police will have the vehicle towed. Some states will tow an abandoned vehicle after 48 hours; the police department in your area will tell you how long you can leave your car unattended before the law gets involved.

Is car broke down a good excuse?

Car troubles are always a good excuse, but they do offer some potential karma blow-back. So, when you do lie about car troubles so you can get a head start on that three-day weekend, make sure you make up something that would legitimately prevent you from driving to work, but also wouldn’t be too expensive to fix.

Can I leave a car on the side of the road?

What to do if your car breaks down on the road?

Keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind can help keep you and other motorists safer when forced to the side of the road with a vehicle breakdown. If you experience vehicle problems while driving, your first priority is to pull off to a safe location away from the flow of traffic.

What should you do if your vehicle is struck from behind?

Take your foot off the gas pedal. Do not brake suddenly. Ideally, aim for the right shoulder of the road — pulling into the left-hand shoulder is a last resort. Be sure to park with your wheels turned to the right so that if your vehicle is struck from behind, your vehicle will not cross the lane into moving traffic.

What should you do if a vehicle is parked behind you?

Signal your intentions to drivers behind you. If it is necessary to change lanes, watch your mirrors and the traffic around you closely. Once off the road, make your car visible. Put reflectorized triangles behind your vehicle to alert other drivers; use your emergency flashers. If it is dark, turn on the interior dome light.

What should I do if I’m Stranded on the side of road?

If you’re stranded on the side of the road at night, flares will help warn upcoming vehicles about your presence. Place the flares several yards behind your vehicle, on the berm. Locate them in a line so there are several flares in place before the spot where your vehicle is located. If you don’t have flares, bright cones will work, too.