Tow Truck Equipment

Due to the high level of traffic on a motorway, it is one of the most dangerous places for a car to break down. Here are two things you should do if you ever find yourself in this situation.

Get out of the car

It might be tempting to stay inside your car whilst you wait for your towing provider to arrive. However, although it may feel safe, the fact of the matter is that your chances of being hit and injured by approaching traffic will be much higher if you choose to sit in your vehicle.

Given this, after pulling over, you and your passengers should exit your car (using the door which is farthest away from the road). If there is a barrier along the side of the motorway, climb over and stand behind it until the towing service shows up. It is a good idea to leave the door through which you exit the car unlocked so that if you feel unsafe outside (because, for example, a threatening person is approaching you) you can retreat back into your vehicle quickly and easily.

If you are travelling with a pet (such as a dog or a cat), it is not usually advisable to remove them from the car. This is because if they get scared, they could run onto the motorway and get killed or cause a collision. The only circumstances in which it is safe to take your pet out of the vehicle is if you are completely confident that you can maintain control of them (for example, if you have a portable travel crate which you can keep them in until the tow truck arrives).

Make your vehicle visible

If you want to reduce the chances of another driver colliding with your vehicle, you should do everything you can to make it visible to other road users. This is particularly important if your car breaks down when visibility is poor due to extreme weather conditions (i.e. during a bout of heavy rain or thick fog) or because the breakdown has occurred late at night.

Firstly, switch on both your side lights and your hazard lights. Then, place your reflective warning triangle several metres behind your car.

If your lights aren't working (because, for example, your battery has died) and you don't own a warning triangle, don't worry; there are other ways to ensure that other drivers can spot and avoid running into your car. You can, for instance, pop the bonnet; this will make your car more visible and let other road users know that you have broken down. If you have a white or very colourful blanket, scarf or jacket in your vehicle, you could also hang this from the aerial of the car to increase its visibility.