There’s a good chance that sometime in your life, you will experience having your car die on the side of the road. It’s wise to prepare yourself for such an event. If you already know what your options are when a breakdown occurs, you won’t be so frazzled.
Fight the fear with intelligence, and start researching solutions now. Read through this brief summary, featuring a few things to remember if your car breaks down on the side of the road.
Guide your vehicle out of the way of traffic
If your vehicle stops functioning while you’re driving down the road, don’t panic. Do what you can to safely steer your car out of the way of traffic.
Tap the on switch for your emergency flashers, and guide your vehicle to the emergency lane. If your flashers don’t work, hang a white cloth out your driver’s window. This will signal to other drivers that your vehicle is in trouble.
Notify your roadside assistance provider
If your vehicle insurance coverage offers roadside assistance, it’s wise to opt-in to the coverage. If your car breaks down on the side of the road, all you have to do is notify your roadside assistance provider.
Your provider will send someone out to help you rectify the presenting situation. Roadside assistance can tow the vehicle to a mechanic, or they can help you change a tire. Just make sure you fully understand the terms of service before you call for someone to be sent your way.
Some common reasons why your car might die
If you don’t have roadside assistance, then you’ll have to troubleshoot on your own. It may be helpful to know a few of the most common reasons why an automobile might stop working while driving down the road.
- You could be out of fuel. If your gas gauge malfunctions, you may run dry without knowing.
- Your battery could be dead. If the alternator is failing to charge your battery, it could die in the middle of a driving trip.
- Fuel isn’t pumping properly through to the engine. If your fuel pump is malfunctioning, you could have trouble getting anywhere.
Call someone to pick you up
If you can’t seem to figure out what’s going on with your vehicle, you’ll need a ride to where you’re going. Get on the “horn,” and call someone to come help you out of your current situation.
Fix or move your car as soon as possible
Once you leave your vehicle on the side of the road, you’ll have to work quickly to get back to it. It’s smart to leave a note on the vehicle, notating when you will return to gather it. You will only have a couple of days to move your vehicle before the local roadway authorities will have it towed.
