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Staying safe in a breakdown
Breaking down can be a stressful and worrying experience, particularly if you are alone or in an unfamiliar place. It can also be a very hazardous situation, putting yourself and your passengers at risk if you do not follow basic safety guidelines.
If your vehicle breaks down, your first priority must be safety for yourself, your passengers and other road users. You should not attempt to seek help until safety is assured. Green Flag Motoring Assistance has put together the following guidelines to help you deal with a breakdown situation as safely as possible.
On the motorway
The main thing to remember about the motorway hard shoulder is that it is to be used in real emergency situations only. You should only ever stop there if you have no other alternative. If your car develops a problem on the motorway it is always best to leave at the next exit or pull into a service station, wherever possible.
Download a copy of our Hard Shoulder Safety Guide [1.7Mb].
If you have to use the hard shoulder, we advise the following:
- Use the hard shoulder lane to decelerate before stopping as far to the left as possible, preferably near an emergency telephone.
- Take care to look out for any debris on the hard shoulder that could damage your vehicle.
- Turn your front wheels towards the grass verge.
- Turn on your hazard lights along with sidelights in the dark or when visibility is poor, but do NOT display a red triangle or other warning device - with fast moving traffic, the risks outweigh the benefits.
- Get people out of the car by the left hand doors and behind the crash barrier if there is one and onto the grass bank, the further away from traffic the better.
- If possible, use a roadside emergency telephone, which will pinpoint your position, rather than a mobile phone.
- When walking along the hard shoulder to or from the telephone, keep as far away from the traffic as possible, and keep in mind the danger that it poses. Once you have used the telephone, wait with any other passengers as far away from the traffic as possible.
- If it is not possible to wait away from your car, or if you consider this to be dangerous, then return to your vehicle and wait in the front passenger seat with your doors locked. Bear in mind, however, that although you may feel threatened standing alone on the hard shoulder, the risk of another vehicle hitting yours is far greater than your risk of being attacked.
- Do NOT attempt to repair your vehicle on a hard shoulder. It is highly dangerous, particularly on the side nearest the traffic. Always seek professional help using the emergency telephones provided, which are never more than a mile apart on the motorway.
- Once you have received assistance and your vehicle has been repaired, return to the motorway using the hard shoulder as an acceleration lane, taking care to merge fully with the traffic in the first lane only when you are at a similar speed and there is a large enough gap to do so.
You must NEVER use the motorway hard shoulder to:
- Stop for a break, to eat or drink or to go to the toilet - use the service stations.
- Use a mobile telephone.
- Check a route or map - make sure you are familiar with your journey before you set off, if you do need to check your directions, leave the motorway first or pull into a service station.
Off the motorway
If your car breaks down on an ordinary road or carriageway, you should:
- Leave your car in as safe a place as possible, away from traffic.
- Switch off the engine and put out any cigarettes.
- Switch on your hazard lights and if it is dark, or if visibility is poor, leave your sidelights on.
- Display a red triangle if you have one.
- Find the nearest telephone or use a mobile phone if it is safe to do so.
- If you have had an accident, call the emergency services first, and then make contact with any witnesses.
- Then contact your breakdown service provider. If you are interested in Green Flag Motoring Assistance’s UK breakdown cover you can buy cover or get a quote here.
- Tell the call advisor your car registration number (or your membership number), the location of your car and the nature of your problem.
- Don't worry about calling Green Flag Motoring Assistance from abroad as multi-lingual advisors at our UK headquarters take all calls. You can find more information about Green Flag's European Assistance cover here.
- Wait for assistance in a safe place, away from your vehicle, keeping clear of the road and traffic.
- Do not stand behind your vehicle, where you may obscure its lights.
In any breakdown situation, whether in the UK or in Europe, try to remain calm and remember that your priority is to keep yourself and any passengers as safe as possible. Always make sure that you have adequate breakdown cover to ensure that help is never far away.
Stay safe and enjoy trouble-free motoring with Green Flag Motoring Assistance
