What to do if your car breaks down on a busy road

For many motorists the idea of breaking down is filled with dread. Today’s cars tend to be extremely reliable and regular servicing helps prevents breakdowns, but the truth is that they do still occur and often on roads that seem busier than ever. Vehicles are also more mechanically and technically complex than ever before, so repairs are often more involved if something does go wrong.

What causes break downs?

There are a lot of reasons why a car might break down and it is impossible to predict all of them. The vast majority of times however a car breaks down because of simple maintenance issues. To help avoid this you can:

Make sure the car has regular services conducted according to manufacturer’s specifications

• Check oil and water regularly
• If it seems to be going through oil, have it checked, you may have a leak, or a more serious mechanical problem
• Always be aware of how it drives – does it feel different?
• Does it accelerate smoothly or does it ‘jump’ a bit? This may be something to do with the fuel line
• Is it producing more smoke than usual?

In a nutshell be aware of your car and if it does anything differently, have it checked out. If you service it according to specifications, most modern cars will be incredibly reliable.

What to do when you break down

The most important thing to do if you break down is to try and get your car away from the flow of traffic. If possible, try and get your car off the road and onto the emergency lane. Often at the first sign of trouble, your car loses power but is still moving. This is the time to take immediate action and move towards the emergency lane. Stop your car as far from the flow of traffic as you can. Some emergency lanes have a special parking bay at regular intervals, so try to aim for one of them, but remember do not keep driving your car if there is clearly something wrong with it. Park it safely and turn the ignition off. Then ring for roadside assistance. Any motorist should consider having road side assistance (eg www.racv.com.au ). Some new models come with roadside assistance for added peace of mind. If your car will not make it to a safe location, you need to get as close as you can, put on your hazard lights, turn off the ignition and leave the car at the earliest safe opportunity and wait in a safe location, out of the way of the traffic. If your car is not stopped in the emergency lane there is a chance that even with your hazard lights on, other vehicles may impact it and you must therefore not be in the car. Remember it is only a car and it can be replaced but your own life can not.

Breakdowns in busy traffic

Breakdowns are stressful at the best of times but in busy traffic they are especially so. Make sure that you prioritise your own safety. Park the car in an emergency lane or parking bay, turn off the ignition and put your hazard lights on. Leave the vehicle if it is not in an entirely safe place to be stopped and wait for roadside assistance in a safe location. When a car breaks down there is simply very little else you can do, unless people come to your assistance immediately, in which case make sure they also behave in a safe and responsible way and maintain complete traffic awareness.