Vehicle Breakdown Safety Tips
Safety should be your first concern if your car breaks down. Getting out of your vehicle at a busy intersection or on a highway to change a tire or make a repair is probably one of the worst things you can do. If your vehicle does breakdown we recommend using the following precautions:
- Never get out of the vehicle to make a repair on a busy highway. Get the vehicle to a safe place before getting out.
- If you can't drive the vehicle, it is probably safer to stay in the vehicle and wait for help or use a cell phone to summon help. It is usually a bad idea to stand outside the vehicle in the flow of traffic.
- Immediately turn on your hazard lights.
- Use flares or triangles to mark your location once you are on the side of the road. Marking your vehicle's location provides advance warning to other drivers.
- In the case of a blowout or a flat tire, move the vehicle to a safer place before attempting a repair—even if it means destroying the wheel getting there. The cost of a tire, rim or wheel is minor compared to endangering your safety.