Breakdown Cover Articles

If you have to break down, try to make sure it doesn't happen on the motorway

If you could choose where you would want your car to break down the chances are that you would want it to happen outside your house, especially when you know that most mobile workshops and vehicle recovery services will come to your house these days. But life generally isn't that simple, and the vast majority of breakdowns happen when a car is in motion. Once again, statistics show that car will break down when on side roads or in garage forecourts or supermarket shopping lots. Inconvenient- certainly. Life threatening- usually not.

It's only when a car breaks down while driving along a motorway that the real problems begin, and the levels of risk and unpleasantness rise. That why anyone who is travelling a trip along one of the UK's major thoroughfares should make themselves a mental checklist before setting out.

They should be doubly sure that their tire pressures are dead on, there is enough water in the radiator and other bread and butter car maintenance tasks have been carried out. More important is that if they feel that something is not right with the car in any way then it should be investigated sooner rather than later.

Any driver who begins to feel that their car is about to give out when driving on a motorway, yet is confident and knowledgeable enough to know that they are no liable cause long term and significant damage, then they should drive very slowly to next service area or filling station, whatever comes first.

If the problem renders the car unable to be driven, then it should be pulled onto the hard shoulder. This maneuver should be carried out with great caution, and the car should be parked as far to the left as is possible. with the hazard warning lights in operation. Getting out of the car should only be done from the left side, and any passengers should also get out from the same side and only if absolutely necessary, unless if the driver is not certain that the car is not far enough away from traffic. In this case, they should get themselves as far away from the car as is safe, preferably under supervision.

After that, the only thing to do is call your car breakdown service company, stating clearly your location. These circumstances will take precedence over other cases, and they arrive at the scene usually within a few minutes.

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