What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down
In the UK, hundreds of thousands of breakdowns occur every year, yet not everyone knows what to do if their car breaks down.
In the UK, hundreds of thousands of breakdowns occur every year, yet not everyone knows what to do if their car breaks down.
Marion Hanson
Marketing Executive
It doesn’t matter whether you've just passed your test or you’re an experienced fleet driver; your first breakdown can be a scary experience, especially if you don't know what to do during an emergency breakdown.
In this article, we explain exactly what to do in the event of a car breakdown, how to prepare with an essential car kit, and how to prevent such an incident from happening to you with regular vehicle maintenance checks.
At Motia, our easy-to-use app for Daily Vehicle Checks helps employers to stay legally compliant by ensuring that vehicles are safe to drive. Find out more in our article ‘Vehicle checks and defect reporting’.
Your car is often one of the biggest purchases you make throughout your lifetime, yet so many of us neglect to keep up with regular vehicle maintenance. National Highways reports that almost a fifth of drivers admit they don’t carry out any vehicle maintenance checks before a long journey. For business fleets, the costs of improper maintenance are even greater, causing both legal and financial implications. Discover the legal obligations of all UK companies in our article ‘The importance of fleet duty of care’.
No matter how important regular maintenance checks are, the most common causes of breakdowns still include things that could have been spotted before setting off on your journey, such as:
At Motia, we help fleet managers to comply with UK regulations, reduce admin time and keep drivers and vehicles safe with our vehicle compliance and maintenance solutions.
The first thing you should always do is turn on your hazard warning lights immediately. This will inform other drivers that you have broken down. As soon as your hazard warning lights are on, you need to exit your car and find a safe place to stand that is away from your car, such as behind a barrier. Once you are in a safe place, you should call for help from a breakdown services provider such as RAC, AA or Green Flag. You must never try to carry out your own repairs on a motorway unless you are an experienced mechanic. You should only attempt to change your own tyre on a roadside if you’re not causing any obstruction or endangering the lives of other road users.
If you break down on the motorway or roadside, these essentials can help to keep you safe in an emergency:
Keeping these in your car at all times can help you be more prepared for an emergency breakdown and help you to feel more at ease.
Knowledge is the key to ensuring that your car is well-maintained, and carrying out regular checks on your vehicle is necessary for every single road user, especially if you’re about to go on a long journey.
Alongside regular professional services, it's important for road users to check their tyres, oil, engine, battery, water and petrol regularly and report any defects to their garage for inspection. If you want your car to serve you well for as long as possible, a car maintenance calendar can help you stay on top of vehicle maintenance.
If you're a fleet manager, then preventative maintenance comes with legal responsibilities, which include implementing a preventive maintenance schedule, prioritising tyre care, training your drivers to spot early warning signs, keeping detailed records and investing in a training program.
At Motia, we can help you keep your fleet safe and optimise your fleet management. Contact us today to find out more.
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