What do you do when your car breaks down on the motorway?

What to do if you break down on the motorway

1. Pull over safely. Ideally, leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area.
2. Don’t stay in your car. You want to get you and your passengers safely away from the passing traffic.
3. Phone for help.
4. Return to your car, but stay outside it.

What should you do if a stranger offers to help you on the road?

If a stranger pulls over and offers to help you, it’s probably best to remain in the car with your doors locked. You can roll down the window slightly and tell them help is on the way. Call the police if need be.

What causes a skid?

A skid happens when the tires lose their grip on the road, which can be caused one of four ways: Driving too fast for road conditions. Braking too hard and locking the wheels. Supplying too much power to the drive wheels, causing them to spin.

Should you stay in your car on the hard shoulder?

Remember, the hard shoulder is only for breakdowns and emergencies, and is a dangerous place to be, given the speed of the vehicles travelling on the motorway; for everything else, leave the motorway or pull into the next motorway services.

Why do cars skid when roads are wet?

The term hydroplaning is commonly used to refer to the skidding or sliding of a cars tires across a wet surface. Water pressure in the front of the wheel pushes water under the tire, and the tire is then separated from the road surface by a thin film of water and loses traction.

What should I do if my car breaks down?

If your car begins to break down, the best immediate advice is to not panic. If you feel your car starting to slow down or if you recognise there is a problem, such as the windscreen wipers not working during rain or your lights failing at night, head to the side of the road.

Is it safer to break down on a motorway or a road?

If you’ve broken down on an A or B road, staying in your car is a safer option than on a motorway due to cars not driving as fast. You’ll also have potentially less room on your average B road to move your car to than a motorway, so staying in your car could be the safest option overall.

What happens if your car breaks down at night?

In many cases, many break downs that occur on the side of the road at night result in fatalities. But there are ways to protect yourself if your car breaks down at night rather than sitting on the side of the road in a very vulnerable position.

What happens when something goes wrong when you’re driving?

It’s hard to know exactly what to do when you’re driving and something just goes wrong. A flat tire or a dead battery can mean leaving your car exposed to heavy traffic. There’s always a chance your car could break down and you have to pull it over on the side of a busy road.