Breaking down on a motorway can be a frightening experience, and it can be easy to work yourself into a panic. The most important thing to remember is to stay calm. The team at Oaks Services LTD are dedicated to ensuring the safety of all road users, and we’ve created this guide to help you back onto the road in no time.
Move your vehicle
The first thing to do when you realise your vehicle is breaking down is to try and move it to a safe location. Ideally, this would entail turning off at the next junction or pulling in to a service station. However, if this is not possible, move the car over to the hard shoulder and pull up as far to the left as possible. In the very rare circumstance that your car faults very suddenly and you are unable to move it to the hard shoulder, stay calm and turn on your hazard warning lights.
Turn on your hazard warning lights
Regardless of where you have pulled into, it’s imperative you turn on your hazard warning lights to alert oncoming cars to your situation. This will allow them to recognise that there is an oncoming hazard and give them plenty of time to react accordingly. In addition, it also keeps both yourself and your vehicle safe.
Leave the vehicle
Thought it may seem instinctual to stay in the car, especially in inclement weather, it’s vitally important for your own safety that you get out of your vehicle. Though your hazard warning lights are on to warn oncoming vehicles of your situation, the large amounts and high speeds of vehicles on the motorway can often lead to unpredictable behaviour. The best way to maximise your safety is to leave your vehicle. Make sure you exit via the left hand side door and not the driver door, as to avoid walking into oncoming traffic.
Don’t put warning triangle out
You may be tempted to place a reflective warning triangle out by your car to enhance your vehicle’s visibility. While this may be a good idea on smaller, less busy roads, it is much too dangerous to do so on a motorway. An alternative idea is to wear reflective clothing if you have some. Perhaps consider keeping a reflective jacket in your car for future use. Wearing a reflective jacket will help alert cars to your break-down situation without putting yourself or anyone else in danger.
Call for help
After securing both yourself and your vehicle into the safest position available, the next thing to do is to call for help. If you don’t have a mobile phone available, there are emergency telephones situated along the hard shoulder that connect directly to the police. Walk safely along the left side of the hard shoulder until you reach one.
Call a trustworthy breakdown company, such as Oaks Services LTD, and explain the situation. A vehicle will arrive and will assess any problem your car may have. Most of time, your car will be fixed swiftly and you will soon be back on the road. In the circumstances where your car can’t be fixed then and there, your vehicle will be recovered by transporting it to a safer location where it will receive the best available service.
At Oaks Services LTD, we provide a wide range of services to ensure your vehicle is in the best condition for driving. We make safety our utmost priority, and all our services are performed to the highest safety standards. No matter the vehicle you own, give our expert team a call and we’ll be happy to help your further.
