All of us have experienced driving down a highway, enjoying the freedom of the wide road, when all of a sudden, the car starts to make odd noises, rattles, and then it just shuts down. Now what? For beginner drivers in particular, a car breakdown can be a stressful event.
But don’t freak out! You can get through it with confidence if you’re prepared. To help you stay safe and get back on the road as soon as possible, we’ll go over the most important things you should do in this guide when your car breaks down.
Stay Calm and Assess the Situation
The first thing you should do is to remain composed during your car breakdown recovery. Panic can affect your thinking and increase the level of stress in the scenario. Assess your surroundings and see if you can move your vehicle. Move the vehicle safely to the side, away from other cars. Switch on your hazard lights to lower the possibility of collisions by increasing your car’s visibility to other drivers.
Ensure Your Safety
Safety should be your top priority during a car breakdown. If you have moved your car to a safe place, now make sure you are safe too from people on foot.
- Turn on the hazard lights to prevent any accident.
- Stay in the car if you are on a highway with locked doors.
- If you have warning cones around you, place them behind your car.
Try to Figure out The Problem
After you’ve made sure you’re safe, try to identify the problem. It might be as easy as a flat tyre or running out of fuel. You can check behind the hood to see if anything noticeable is wrong if you’re comfortable doing simple auto repairs.
Some common issues are:
Flat Tyre: Check for a puncture or air loss in the tyre.
Empty fuel tank: Verify whether you’re out of gas by looking at the fuel meter.
Dead battery: If you hear clicking sounds yet your car won’t start, it can be a dead battery.
Engine overheating: Your engine may be overheating if your temperature indicator is in the red zone.
Call for Breakdown Recovery
You can save time, stress, and even a significant amount of money by having reliable assistance available. Typically, breakdown recovery services provide the following:
- Towing: They will tow your vehicle to the closest garage or repair facility if it cannot be fixed on the side of the road.
- On-site repairs: A recovery service provider might be able to fix the car on the spot for more typical breakdown problems.
- Quick solution: Like changing a flat tyre or jumpstarting a dead battery, these are provided by certain services.
Final Thoughts
First-time vehicle breakdown can be stressful, but they don’t have to ruin your day if you are prepared and have the right approach. Every step will help you handle the situation with confidence, from maintaining your composure to contacting a reliable breakdown recovery service. Keep in mind that prevention is important, so get your car serviced regularly.
