It is great to have confidence in your car, especially if you take it for maintenance often. But, it doesn’t negate the fact that as reliable as your car can be, it can also break down. It is not a good thing to experience, but there is no guideline to prevent it from breaking down. So, what do you do when it breaks down in traffic or the middle of a freeway, and you are alone?
When that happens, the first thing not to do is to panic, as you can escalate the issue to be more than it already is. In this article, we have written three simple things to do if you find yourself in this situation.
- Turn on the Hazard Lights
It wasn’t planned to have your vehicle break down unannounced, but you need to let others know if you don’t want to inconvenience them. The best way to tell other drivers that you are having issues with your car is to put your hazard light on to alert them. Other drivers will catch the signal and give you space to think of the next thing to do when you do that. Once you have done that, if your car can still move, try to pack it in a safe space on the road. If it won’t move, bring the vehicle to a stop and move to the next step.
- Stay in the car
This is very simple to do, yet it can be challenging. You are safer if you stay in the car than trying to move to another place, especially if your car stopped on the highway. Just make sure you are not hidden from incoming vehicles. If you have to, turn on the dome light in the night to make your car seen clearly. Though you might feel scared, it is best to remain there until help comes than trying to go out of the scene and hit a vehicle.
- Call a Tow Service
The next thing to do is let the towing service know your current situation. If you don’t have their number, you can look for it online and call the nearest one to you. But if you don’t have a smartphone, prepare ahead by putting the numbers of a towing company in your gloves box. When you have been able to reach them, they will help you move your car to the nearest repair shop to check what went wrong.
Bonus Tips
It is possible that your hazard light might be having issues at that exact point, and you can’t seem to switch it on. If that happens, still don’t panic but look for a flag in your car or a paper to help you signal to other drivers that you are stuck. You could even fix the flag on the window so it will keep doing the work of signalling while you take the next move. If you can’t get a tow number to call, call your mechanic. Also, when the tow service takes your car to a shop that you aren’t familiar with, you should have your own mechanic check the car for you instead.
If you are in a city where you don’t know any mechanic and you are not sure who to call, check for reputable auto repair shops around using your smartphone so you can direct the towing service to their shop.
Also, having a few snacks in your car will come in handy if you are in this situation. It might take a long time before your vehicle gets towed, and you need food and water to think straight. So, please keep them in your car when you leave for a long trip and change them when you get back home.
Hopefully, when you are in this situation, you will be better prepared with the right numbers to call and the best plan to use.
If you are in Ontario and want to get your car fixed, contact our representatives through any of our numbers to get out of the stressful situation.
Insurance providers we work with
