What to do if you breakdown

If your vehicle develops a fault and breaks down it can sometimes be hard and unsafe to stop.

If you breakdown on a motorway

Hard shoulders are for emergencies only. You should only use them if you have to. If you can try and keep going until you can leave the motorway. Being stationary on the hard shoulder can be dangerous as any vehicle may wander on to the hard shoulder and hit your car

If you have an emergency that means you have to stop we suggest the following

• Get your vehicle as far over to the left as possible
• Turn your wheels to the left so that if it is hit it won't be pushed back on to the motorway
• Switch on your sidelights
• Switch on your hazard warning lights
• Leave the vehicle by the left hand door and wait on the verge
• Wear a reflective jacket if you have one

Calling for help

If you are near an emergency phone it may be best to use that as it will alert the motorway controller of your exact location. If not use your mobile to call for help using the motorways posts to identify your location

If you feel at risk from another person, get inside your vehicle by a left-hand door and lock all doors. As soon as you feel the danger has passed you should leave your vehicle again.

If you breakdown on the main carriage way and can't get your vehicle onto the hard shoulder, you should:

• Switch on your hazard warning lights.
• Leave your vehicle only when you can safely get clear of the carriageway.

Breaking down on other roads

If this happens you should try and get your vehicle off the road if its safe to do so. Warn other traffic by using your hazard warning lights. This is important if your vehicle is causing an obstruction. Other things to consider are:

• Wearing a high visibility jacket
• Leave your side lights on if its dark or getting dark
• Use a warning triangle if you have one
• If you have a reflective jacket, put it on.