What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down

Get the vehicle somewhere safe

The first decision matters most. If the car is still rolling, use the momentum to get off the carriageway — a side road, a lay-by, a car park entrance, anywhere out of moving traffic. Steering and braking get heavier once the engine stops, so plan early.

Once stopped, put the hazard lights on immediately and turn the wheels away from the road if you are on a slope.

Decide whether to stay in the car

On a normal road, with the vehicle well off the carriageway, staying inside with seatbelts on is usually fine. On a fast road or where traffic is passing close, everyone should get out on the pavement side and stand behind a barrier or well back from the road.

Work out what you can tell us

A recovery operator can plan properly when you can answer five things:

• Where you are — postcode, what3words, road name and direction, or nearest junction
• Vehicle registration, make and model
• What happened and whether it still starts
• How many passengers are with you
• Where you want the vehicle taken

What not to do

Do not attempt repairs on the live side of the vehicle, do not push it along a busy road, and do not keep restarting an engine that has overheated or lost oil pressure. A short drive to 'just get home' is how a repairable fault turns into a new engine.