Expert advice: how to cope with a motorway breakdown

Motorways might be safe roads to drive on but they can be a nightmare to break down on. What should you do if your car conks out in the fast lane? Where’s the safest place to stand? Who do you contact and what will they do? This answers all those questions and more.

Is a motorway breakdown really necessary?
Some motorway breakdowns, such as running out of fuel, are the driver’s responsibility. Service areas are well advertised and many modern motors have trip computers that tell you the car’s approximate range. A driver should also have a good idea of how their car is behaving. If there are any vibrations, rattles, odd engine noises or unusual driving behaviour pull off at the next junction or service area to check them out in a secure environment. It’ll save you time and might even save your life.

How to cope with breaking down at speed
If your car starts to lose power when you’re travelling at speed and it’s obvious there’s something seriously wrong, keep calm, indicate left and use your momentum to move towards the hard shoulder as swiftly and safely as you can. Be aware that traffic in the lanes you’re moving into might be travelling faster than you are.

How to cope with a breakdown if you’re going slowly
Most people will have had their journey disrupted by someone’s car broken down in the middle of the motorway. There’s every chance these have happened suddenly in heavy, slow moving traffic and there isn’t much you can do about it. Remember, it’s illegal to walk on a motorway so put the hazard warning lights on, stay with your vehicle, and ring the police on your mobile phone.

When you get to the hard shoulder
This may feel like a sanctuary but the hard shoulder is a dangerous place with vehicles of all shapes and sizes speeding past in very close proximity. Once you’re on the hard shoulder, put your hazard lights on to alert other road users. If you can coast or still drive slowly, the nearer you can get to an emergency phone the better. When you do stop your car, do so as near to the verge as possible and turn the steering wheel to the left. Doing this ensures that if your car is shunted by another vehicle it should move away from the carriageway and not into it. Put the parking brake on and if it’s dark, leave your side lights and hazard lights on.

Safety first
Even if it’s cold and wet, it’s important not to stay in your car. You might be less comfortable standing on the other side of the crash barrier, but you’ll be far safer. If you have any reflective vests in the car, put them on. Then get out of your car on the left side (or the right on the Continent). Ensure young children are being looked after by a responsible adult and if at all possible, leave any pets in the car so they can’t get spooked and run into the carriageway. Lock your car and climb over the crash barrier. If you can get to an even safer place up on the embankment, so much the better. Most importantly, don’t attempt to repair the car yourself!

Call the experts
高速公路将连接上的紧急电话you with the police immediately. They’ll instantly be able to tell where you are and send help. If you can’t get to an emergency phone, make a note of the nearest marker post by the carriageway. This will tell whoever you call where you are. If you’ve got breakdown cover, use it. At Green Flag, we prioritise motorway breakdowns because they leave people so vulnerable. If you haven’t got breakdown cover, call Highways England. It will send for a local company who will probably charge a hefty fee to recover your car. Whoever you ring, it’s important to tell them if you or any of your passengers are very old, very young or vulnerable in any way.

What happens next?
As I’ve said, the hard shoulder is a very dangerous place. Unless it’s a very simple fix such as putting some fuel in the car, the first thing our patrols will do is to move a broken-down vehicle away from the hard shoulder to the nearest junction or service area. This is because it’s too hazardous to repair a car next to the main carriageway. At Green Flag we’ll do our utmost to get your car going again. But whatever happens with your vehicle, the most important thing is that its occupants can continue their journey, no matter what.

Nick Reid is a fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry and head of transformation at Green Flag