Car breakdowns are not only hugely inconvenient and occasionally expensive; they also have the potential to be incredibly dangerous especially if you happen to breakdown at the side of a busy motorway.
The importance of arranging for breakdown cover policies has already been well document as it not only ensures your vehicle will get attended to at the side of the road; but also helps to avoid the potentially excessive motorway recovery service call out charges which are often in excess of £100. With MoneySupermarket claiming that you can purchase a breakdown cover policy from as little as £29 per year there seems to be little reason to go without a basic policy.
However, even the most extensive breakdown cover policy won’t completely remove the danger element of being exposed at the side of the road. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself stranded at the side of a busy road, please keep yourself safe by adhering to our five step breakdown guide:
1. Parking
If you encounter a problem in your vehicle it is important to try and keep calm in order to ensure clear thoughts. Pull your vehicle over safely to the side of the road as far to the left as possible so as to attain the maximum possible distance between your vehicle and the passing traffic. This is not only for your own safety, but also helps avoid traffic congestion.
Upon pulling over, make sure that your front wheels are pointing away from the road in case your vehicle begins to roll. You should then active your hazard warning lights so that your car is visible to others; this is particular important at night or in treacherous weather conditions.
2. Occupant evacuation
It is absolutely vital that all vehicle occupants exit through a door on the left hand side of the car so that they are not vulnerable to passing traffic; and this includes the driver. However, any animals should be left inside the vehicle unless there is an emergence situation.
If you have reflective jackets (which are included as part of most breakdown cover kits), make sure that they are utilised. You should then make sure that all vehicle occupants get behind the barriers and as far away from the road as possible.
3. Call for help
The third step is to call your breakdown cover provider and tell them the location of your vehicle. It is advised that drivers monitor their location along the route of their journey in case of a breakdown, but we recognise that this advice is not always followed through regardless of our best intentions.
Google maps (available on most smart phones) is one way of identifying where the breakdown cover provider should proceed to; but alternatively it is advised that look for any road markings for hints before making the call.
4. Leave it to the experts
If you have a breakdown cover policy in place, then make sure that you are getting the service that you are paying for. Would you normally go to a restaurant and cook the meal yourself?
Breakdown cover is no different; so keep yourself safe by staying as far away from passing vehicles as possible and do not attempt to conduct repairs yourself.
5. Pulling off safely
If the cause of the breakdown is not overly severe and the vehicle can be fixed at the side of the road then take care when pulling away. On roads where cars are regularly doing 70mph, finding a gap to pull away from a stand still can be a perilous task.
It is therefore important to stay calm and wait for the right opportunity (i.e. a big enough gap) to present itself before returning to the flow of traffic. Failing to adhere to this advice could result in another inconvenient stay at the side of the road or worse.
Also don’t forget that you are probably not the only person to have broken down over the duration of the day and it is possible that there might be other stricken vehicles on the hard shoulder as you build up speed. It is therefore important to monitor the road ahead, to the side and behind while pulling away.
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