Your car breaking down in the middle of the road can be one of your worst nightmares. Depending on where you get stuck on the road, it can be inconvenient, costly, and, more importantly, dangerous to you and the people in your vehicle. Unfortunately, situations like this can happen to anyone, and you never know when and where it’ll strike. Thus, the best thing to do is to keep yourself safe on the road and be prepared during a roadside emergency.
On that note, here’s what you should do when your car breaks down in the middle of the road.
Assess Your Situation
When your car breaks down on the road, chances are you might not know what to do to get out of this mess. But instead of panicking, try to stay calm while assessing the situation. From there, decide which course of action you’re going to take.
In the meantime, you need to prepare yourself and your car to pull over. After all, your vehicle breakdown in the middle of the road can affect the flow of traffic in the area. Hence, if you don’t want to cause inconvenience to other motorists, be careful in maneuvering yourself out of the traffic.
Bring Your Car to A Safe Spot
Of course, if you can help it, you shouldn’t stay in the middle of the road fixing your car. Instead, bring your vehicle to a safe spot to determine the next thing to do. Below are some ways to safely pull over your vehicle in a safe place:
- Switch on the hazard lights to inform other motorists that your vehicle is in trouble.
- Use the parking brake, turn off the ignition, and try to stay inside your vehicle. Be sure to keep yourself out of the road as it can be dangerous for you.
- If possible, call for the police for assistance. It’s essential to have police in the area to assist you with the traffic situation.
- If your insurance policy covers roadside assistance, call your insurance company and ask them for help.
- If you have friends or relatives nearby, call them up to help you push the car to a safe spot. Once they arrive, roll down the driver’s side window and ask them to go at the back of the vehicle to push it. When everyone is ready, release the parking and foot brake, place the transmission in neutral, and navigate the car as they push it to the side.
- If you can’t tap anyone within your network, call a reliable towing and roadside assistance service provider to help you. For example, if you experience a car breakdown in Las Vegas, the people at Las Vegas Quick Tow can be of assistance 24/7. They’ll come to your rescue to move and transport your car out of the traffic without causing further damage.
Try to Determine The Problem
While waiting for help on the roadside, try to make necessary assessments about your vehicle’s condition. This can help you determine the cause of your car breakdown in the middle of the road. Unless you’re an expert mechanic, you should read on below to read about the things you can do to assess your vehicle’s condition:
- Check if the battery terminals are correctly connected – Sometimes, a break down on the road because of improperly connected battery terminals. If one of the terminals is disconnected, use a socket wrench and sockets to connect them again.
- Inspect the fuse box – Another area to inspect is the fuse box. The fuses are found below the hood in a box close to the battery. These are cylindrical and enclosed in glass with metal ends, while some are rectangular and are encased with a semi-transparent plastic. So, examine whether the fuses have broken connector need to be replaced.
- Examine the spark plugs – Check if the spark plugs are clean and attached to the distributor leads. If your car’s engine starts but with spitting noises, there might be a spark plug issue that you need to be fixed as soon as possible.
However, when all these things have been done but failed, it’s better to leave the problem to the experts once you get out of the road. Make sure you stay in your car and wait for help to come.
Conclusion
Indeed, emergencies like a car breakdown in the middle of the road can be frustrating and risky. Thus, when this happens, follow the tip mentioned above to ensure your safety on the road. However, it’s best to check your vehicle carefully before getting out for a drive. That way, you can reduce the possibility of dealing with a nerve-wracking breakdown anytime soon.