Steps to take if your car breaks down on a busy highway

You are driving on a busy highway, and suddenly your car breaks down. You don’t know what to do and are stuck in the traffic. It is better to be prepared for such a scenario to face the hardship that come with a car breakdown. If you are prepared, you can manage the problem much better.

1. Turn on your hazard/emergency lights

If your car breaks down a busy highway, first ensure that you don’t panic. The most important thing is to stay calm and slowly move the car to the side of the road. Turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers as soon as you sense something’s wrong. Keep them on until help arrives

2. Slow down and pull off the road
Aim for the right shoulder of the road. Pull over to a safe, flat location that is as far away from moving traffic as possible.  Don’t brake quickly, as it can cause an accident. remember to use hazard lights to alert the vehicles behind you. Once you are at a safe distance, you can exit the car. It is better to stay inside if the highway is busy if possible.

3. Turn your wheels away from the road and put on the emergency brake

Pull your emergency brake, sometimes called the parking brake. If you have to park on a hill or slope, turn the car’s wheels away from the road to help prevent the care from rolling into traffic.

4. Stay in your vehicle
If you’re on a highway or crowded road, avoid getting out of your vehicle to look at the damage or fix a mechanical problem. If you need to get out of the car, get your vehicle to a safe place and make sure the road around you is completely clear. If you’re stopped on the left-hand side of the road, get out through the passenger-side door.

5. Be visible
Once you’re safely out of the vehicle, prop up your hood to let other drivers know they should proceed with caution. This will alert other drivers that you’re broken down.

6. Set up flares or triangles
Place flares or triangles with reflectors behind your car to alert other drivers to the location where you’ve stopped.

7. Roadside assistance: 

If you have purchased a roadside assistance  plan like AA, you can call the company to send help to you. The time required depends on where you are stuck and the company you have purchased the plan. Usually, it should not take more than 90 minutes for the help to arrive. Until the help arrives, make sure you stay with the car and once the  rescue team arrives, explain the problem to resolve it. They are trained for most problems like towing, battery jumpstart, flat tyres, etc.