What to do when my car breaks down
If your car breaks down, you’ll need to know what to do, who to call and how to stay safe. We reveal all...
It’s something that no driver likes to think about, but chances are there will come a day when one of the tens of thousands of components inside your car will fail, making it impossible to continue. According to official figures from National Highways, 2024 saw nearly 283,000 breakdowns take place on motorways and major A-roads alone.
Knowing exactly what to do in these situations can help drivers save a lot of headaches and, if a breakdown occurs on a motorway or fast-moving A-road, a very genuine risk of serious injury.
What should I do if I break down?
The actions you should take when your car breaks down will largely depend on the sort of road you’re using and how busy it is. However, in all cases, it’s important to stay calm to prevent making the situation even worse.
As soon as you discover an issue with your car, turn on the hazard warning lights to raise awareness to other road users and try to find the nearest safe space to pull over.
If you become stuck on a busy road, or are unable to avoid being in the way of traffic, pull over as far to the left of the lane as possible and leave the vehicle, ideally from the passenger door.
If visibility is poor, try and make yourself and your occupants more apparent to oncoming traffic by wearing bright clothing. If you have one, place a high-visibility warning triangle 45 metres (about 150ft) behind the vehicle to help to prevent accidents.
Once all passengers are out of the stranded car, call a breakdown service to either get the vehicle repaired at the roadside or tow it to a nearby garage. This is typically done over the phone, but a growing number of breakdown companies now also allow drivers to report a breakdown online or via a smartphone app.
How do I stay safe if I break down on a motorway?
If you’re still able to safely travel after discovering a fault with your car, it is always a good idea to leave the motorway at the next available junction and stop on a quieter road or at a service station before getting assistance from a breakdown service.
More serious faults that prevent the vehicle from being driven to the next junction, however, will require you to turn on their hazard lights and pull over onto the hard shoulder – if there is one – parking as far left as possible to increase the gap between you and other vehicles travelling in the slow lane.
Turning on the hazard warning lights, and side lights if visibility is low, all occupants must leave the vehicle from the left doors before climbing over the safety barrier to further distance themselves from moving traffic and calling for help.
What happens if I break down on a smart motorway?
Smart motorways use all lanes for driving, so don’t have hard shoulders. If you break down, the safest option is to pull into a layby – often called an emergency refuge area (ERA) – which are typically located at intervals of less than 1.5 miles, or next junction.
Much like the hard shoulder, when stopping at an ERA you should leave the car and move to a safe location before using the SOS telephone to report the breakdown to a highways agent representative. They can contact the motorists’ breakdown cover provider on your behalf.
If you’re able to get your vehicle repaired in an ERA by a breakdown company, you should make another call on the SOS phone, telling them of your intention to rejoin the motorway. The representative will close a short stretch of the slow lane to other road users, allowing you to safely rejoin the road.
However, if you’re not able to reach the safety of a refuge, pull over as close to the left-hand verge or safety barrier as possible and turn on the vehicle’s hazard lights. You’ll need to decide whether it is safe to leave the vehicle and stand on the other side of the safety barrier – or remain inside the car if there is a risk of accidents with other road users.
In either case, you must dial 999 and report the breakdown as soon as possible in order to close the lane the vehicle is stranded in.
No matter what type of motorway you’re stuck on, never try to conduct any repairs yourself or place a warning triangle behind their car – both represent a risk of serious injury.
What if my electric car breaks down?
While electric cars have fewer moving parts compared to petrol, diesel, or hybrid cars, they can break down. Our latest survey of the most reliable cars found that 27% of EV owners encountered issues with their car – 8% more than hybrid owners.
Many of the electric car faults are due to components also found in many other types of car, such as non-battery or motor-related electrical issues, meaning EV drivers should treat most breakdowns in the same manner.
However, one disadvantage is that electric cars should not be ‘flat’ towed with the wheels that are powered by the motor on the ground. Doing so can result in an electrical current causing permanent damage to the motors. Instead, EVs that cannot be fixed at the roadside are typically recovered by being lifted onto a flatbed tow truck or via dolly wheels – an effective albeit comparatively time-consuming process.
Whilst very few EV owners run out of charge at the roadside, a growing number of breakdown companies, including the RAC and LV Britannia, are fitting their recovery vehicles with large battery packs – similar to a portable charger for a smartphone. These devices are designed to give stranded electric cars enough power to reach the nearest charging point. Not all breakdown companies have portable chargers, however, so it’s worth checking before you buy cover.
What if my car breaks down without cover?
Drivers don’t need to have a policy with a particular breakdown company in order to receive immediate assistance. If you find yourself stranded at the roadside without cover, the best thing to do is to move to a safe place and call a reputable breakdown service or find a local garage that recovers vehicles.
However, if the car is stranded in a potentially dangerous location, such as a motorway or A-road, it’s always best to call an emergency recovery service instead. Whichever company you choose will charge a fee to fix the vehicle or tow it to a nearby garage. This will typically include a flat callout charge and then a further fee for each mile the vehicle is towed.
As a result, you may find yourself paying considerably more to recover a vehicle without breakdown cover – not to mention the additional stress of having to find a service that could help them.
How to prepare my car to prevent breaking down?
Some of the most common causes for breakdowns are also the easiest to prevent, slashing the likelihood of being stranded at the roadside by spending a few minutes on the driveway before setting off.
Tyres are one of the most common causes for breakdowns in the UK. Whilst punctures aren’t easy to prevent, you must make sure you have at least 1.6mm of tread and the tyres are inflated to the level recommended by the manufacturer. This also includes the spare tyre, which should also be checked for cracks within the side walls if it hasn’t been used for a number of years.
If the car doesn’t have a spare tyre, make sure you have a puncture repair kit. These feature a foam that can be inserted into the tyre to seal any holes that have formed, allowing the car to be driven to a nearby garage. In most cases, using a puncture repair kit will mean that the damaged tyre will need to be replaced rather than repaired; however, some use a water-based foam that can be flushed out after use. If you need to replace your tyres, see our rundown of the best tyres to buy.
Faulty batteries are another common reason for drivers to get stuck at the roadside. In most cases, these faults are due to motorists typically using their car for short trips or leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of time, meaning that the alternator is unable to properly replenish the battery’s charge. It’s a good idea to invest in a jump starter and a battery charger.
The best way to avoid battery related problems is by making sure it’s checked by a professional every two years, or more often if it’s more than five years old. A garage or service centre can let you know if it has dead cells or reduced performance, allowing you to replace it before it leaves you stranded somewhere. Moreover, if the car is typically used for short trips, driving it on fast-moving roads for at least 30 minutes can help to replenish the battery’s charge.
Other checks that drivers should make to prevent the risk of breakdowns include:
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Check fluids, such as the oil and coolant, before each long journey and top up liquids where necessary
- Keep to the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals
- Never ignore any dashboard warning lights
- Remove any unnecessary weight from the boot to prevent overloading
- Keep an emergency kit in the vehicle to keep passengers safe and comfortable in the event of a breakdown
What Car? verdict
Jack Mortimer, content editor for What Car? says, “At a time in which many motorists are trying to tighten their belts, the prospect of shelling out an additional sum of money on a service they may never need to use is hardly welcome.
“However, on the off chance that you do encounter an issue with your car, the right breakdown cover policy can help to save a fortune and put your stranded SUV or hampered hatchback in the hands of a professional without a myriad of phone calls at the roadside.
“Nevertheless, no matter whether you choose to buy breakdown cover or not, many of the most common causes of accidents can easily be prevented with a few regular checks and a solid maintenance plan.”
