Breakdown safety guide
What to do if you break down
Breaking down is stressful, but a few simple steps keep you safe and get help to you faster. This guide covers motorways, smart motorways and ordinary roads, what to have ready when you call, and the most common reasons vehicles break down.
Broken down right now? Get somewhere safe, then call us.
If you break down on a motorway
If you can, leave at the next junction or pull into a service area.
If you can't, pull onto the hard shoulder and stop as far to the left as you can, with your wheels turned to the left.
Switch on your hazard warning lights. Use your sidelights too if it's dark or visibility is poor.
Get everyone out through the left-hand doors, away from the traffic. Wait behind the safety barrier if there is one.
Leave animals in the vehicle unless there's an emergency.
Don't try even simple repairs, and never put a warning triangle out on a motorway.
Call us. The blue driver location signs and marker posts along the verge tell us exactly where you are.
When you're ready to rejoin, build up speed on the hard shoulder and wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move across.
If there's no hard shoulder (smart motorways)
Try to reach an emergency area. These are marked with blue signs showing an orange SOS telephone. Or leave at the next junction.
If you can't reach one, move onto the verge if there's no safety barrier and it's safe to do so.
If you stop in a live lane and can't get out safely, stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt on and hazard lights on, and call 999 straight away.
Once you're safe, call us with your location.
If you break down on any other road
Get the vehicle off the road if you can: a lay-by, side street, car park or driveway.
Switch on your hazard lights, and your sidelights if it's dark or visibility is poor.
If it's safe, place a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle, on the same side of the road.
Keep passengers away from the road. At night, wear something light or reflective if you have it.
Call us with your location. If you're not sure exactly where you are, send it on WhatsApp.
What to have ready when you call
A few details help us send the right truck and reach you faster:
- Where you are. Road name, junction, a nearby landmark, or the number on the nearest marker post.
- Your vehicle. Make, model, colour and registration.
- What's happened. Won't start, warning lights, strange noises, or it simply stopped.
- Where it needs to go. Home, your garage, a dealer or another address.
- Anything we should know. Low or underground car parks, locked gates, or passengers with you.
Our WhatsApp button attaches your GPS location automatically, which is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
The most common reasons vehicles break down
Flat or faulty battery
The most common cause of all, especially after cold nights, short journeys or a few days parked. You'll usually hear clicking when you turn the key, or see dim dashboard lights. A jump start often gets you going, but an old battery may go flat again, so get it tested.
Alternator faults
The alternator charges your battery while you drive. A battery warning light on the dashboard, or headlights that dim, can mean it's failing. The car may keep running until the battery drains, so it's safer to have it recovered to a garage than to push on.
Starter motor failure
If the dashboard lights up but the engine won't turn over, the starter motor may have failed. A jump start won't fix this, so the vehicle will need recovery.
Flat tyres and wheel damage
Potholes and punctures are a common cause, and many newer cars don't carry a spare wheel. If you can't change it safely, we can recover your vehicle to a tyre fitter or garage.
Running out of fuel, or the wrong fuel
If you've put the wrong fuel in, don't start the engine. The vehicle will need recovering to a garage to drain the tank.
Overheating
A rising temperature gauge, a warning light or steam from the bonnet means you should pull over when it's safe and switch off. Never open a hot radiator or coolant cap. If it doesn't cool down or you can see a leak, call for recovery.
Clutch and gearbox problems
If you can't select gears, or the engine revs without the car picking up speed, don't keep driving. It's safer to have it towed to a garage.
Broken down without breakdown cover?
You don't need breakdown cover or a membership to get help. We're a pay-per-job recovery service: call us, tell us what's happened, and we'll give you the full price before anyone is sent. There's no joining fee, no annual subscription and no sign-up.
Even if you have cover elsewhere, you can still call us for a price.