What Should I Do If My Car Breaks Down?

If you’re a car owner, you are more than likely to experience a breakdown at some stage in your driving career. The main thing to remember is not to panic – this is only likely to make a bad situation worse. But after that, there are some simple steps you can take to keep you and your passengers safe, and make sure help is on its way.

Handling a Breakdown

• If at all possible, move your vehicle into a safe position off the road. If you’re on a motorway at the time and don’t think you’ll make it to the next exit, use the hard shoulder if there is one. Pull as far to the left of this as you can and turn your wheels into the left to avoid passing vehicles striking them.
• Switch on your hazard lights, and if there’s poor visibility, like during the night-time or foggy conditions, keep your sidelights on as well.
• Exit your vehicle on the passenger side if traffic is flowing to your right. Leave any pets in the car to prevent further accidents. If on the motorway, move up the bank as far as possible, staying well away from oncoming traffic.
• Put on your high-vis jacket, if you have one, and if you’re on an A or B road, put a warning triangle around 50 yards to the rear of your vehicle. Don’t use one of these on the motorway, though.
• Call your breakdown service. If you don’t have breakdown cover and are in the Shropshire area, you can call Rescue and Repair Automotive Services. We have a 3.5 t carry capacity for car, 4×4 and light commercial vehicle breakdown recovery in Shropshire.

Preventing a Breakdown

Some of the most common causes of breakdowns in the UK are flat batteries; damaged or punctured tyres; and clutch cables on manual vehicles. You can avoid these issues really easily by building a little extra car maintenance into your schedule. Our top tips for this are:

• Book vehicle servicing at least annually. As part of this, your mechanic will check your clutch, tyres and battery, and let you know in advance if any parts look worn or need replacing.
• Check your tyres before you go out on long trips to make sure they’re in good condition. Make sure they’re inflated to the right pressure; that there’s sufficient tread depth and that there are no cuts, tears or bulges anywhere on the surfaces. Also look for any damage to the side walls or any nails or stones embedded in them.
• Make sure you use your car regularly, taking it on a longer journey every couple of weeks rather than just popping to the shops, so the alternator has a chance to fully charge the battery. Have a new battery fitted every three to five years or so to prevent it going flat, especially in colder temperatures.

Whether you need breakdown recovery in Telford or would like to minimise the chances of a vehicle breakdown altogether, call us on 0300 131 2365. As well as breakdown recovery, we also carry out car repairs and servicing, vehicle diagnostics, wheel changes and tyre puncture repairs.