Breakdown Guides

What should I do if my car breaks down?

No car is immune to problems, and it’s likely that yours will break down at some point. If you’re making a long journey, you should always have a check list so that your car is in the best possible condition and less likely to break down.

But if your car does break down, you need to know what to do to ensure that you stay safe and comfortable and get it back on the road as soon as possible.

Before you set off

Make sure you have a survival kit inside your car, containing the following:

• Blankets and coats
• Water (especially on hot days)
• Food
• Torch
• Change for a phone box (if you have a mobile, make sure it’s charged but remember that you won’t get reception in some areas)
• Reflective vest
• Warning triangle
• Road atlas

You should also perform some checks on your car before you leave, topping up your oil, screenwash, petrol and the tread and air in your tyres.

Breaking down on the motorway

If your car breaks down on the motorway, just follow these simple rules:

• Steer carefully onto the hard shoulder and switch on your hazard lights.
• If it’s dark or foggy, switch sidelights on – but turn them off if your battery is low.
• Leave the car on the passenger side, wearing something reflective.
• Even if you have a mobile, find one of the roadside SOS phones – this will allow the motorway police call centre to pinpoint your location.
• Stay safe by sitting well away from your car while you wait for the mechanic.
• If you can’t get to the hard shoulder, pull onto the central reservation and call 999 and your breakdown service on your mobile - don’t attempt to cross a motorway on foot.

Breaking down on other roads

Follow the same procedure, placing a warning triangle about 50 metres behind your car if it’s safe to do so. You should wait for help away from your car, even if you’re a lone woman – you’re far more likely to be hit inside your vehicle than be attacked.

If you’re in immediate danger, get inside your car, lock the doors and call the police.

Breakdown services

If you have breakdown cover call your provider who will advise you on exactly what to do.

Having breakdown cover will minimise not only the costs of getting your vehicle back on the road, but will also save time and hassle. Use Breakdown Choices to choose a good company to provide your breakdown cover.

Every breakdown company will have a network of mechanics around the country, so you should get help within an hour. The average response time for most breakdown services is around 40 minutes.

If you don’t have breakdown cover

Without breakdown cover, you have the following options:

• Call a breakdown organisation and request to join up on-the-spot. This will carry a mark-up of an extra £65 to £90 on top of the price that basic cover would normally cost you. This price will give you breakdown cover for a year.
• Ask the police for help. They will charge you a minimum £105 to move your vehicle away from the motorway to a safe place.
• Call a local garage. A mechanic will usually charge £40 in call-out fees, plus about £1.50 for every mile you need to be towed.

As you can see, it makes much more sense to join a breakdown organisation before anything goes wrong – you can take time to make the right decision rather than risking paying for expensive and unsuitable cover in a panic. Browse through the pages of BreakdownChoices.co.uk for all the information you need.