If you’re driving down a major highway and your car breaks down, it can be a scary experience. If you have ever been stuck on the side of the road, you know what it feels like to be helpless. When your car breaks down, there are a few simple safety precautions you should take to make sure you stay out of harm’s way.
1. Stay Calm
This might seem like a really hard thing to do, but it is one of the most important safety steps to take. Any time you are in a dangerous situation, staying calm can help keep yourself and others safe. Take a deep breath and try to think about the situation logically. If you are with someone, make sure they stay calm too.
2. Call for Help
Next, you need to call for help. If there is someone around who can help, give them a quick description of your location. Make sure that you also tell them where the nearest gas station or police station might be if they need to make a phone call. If the person you are calling isn’t available, then try calling a tow truck or police station yourself. Since it’s easy to find a tow truck, you should always have the number on your phone. A towing service should be able to get to you in less than an hour.
3. Take Precautions
The other safety steps you should take are protecting yourself from the elements, staying away from other cars, and staying visible. When your car breaks down, stay in the driver’s seat and keep the doors unlocked and the windows up. If you need to get out of the car, make sure to put on your hazard lights and walk away from traffic. This way, you’ll be visible to other drivers, and they should be careful not to hit you. If you live in an area with cold weather, it might be a good idea to make sure that you have some warm clothes on hand, like gloves and boots. If it is too cold outside for you to sit in your car, then try finding a safe place to wait. If you are ever walking on the side of a busy road, try to stay away from the car’s exhaust pipe to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, keep some food and water with you so you don’t starve or get thirsty while waiting for help to arrive, especially if your car broke down during the night.
4. First Aid
If someone got hurt, it’s important that you call help right away. If it’s something urgent, and you need to perform first aid on them, keep these things in mind: if the person is bleeding, and you cannot stop it with a tourniquet or anything else, put pressure on the wound and try to stop blood flow by pressing down with a folded cloth. Do not use hydrogen peroxide on the wound unless you have been trained to do so. For burns, rinse the burn with cool water for 15 minutes, then cover it with a clean dressing or cloth until help arrives. If someone is having a seizure, lay them down on the floor and move any objects away from the person. Keep calm and be sure to check on them every couple of minutes until help arrives, or they stop having a seizure.
5. Ensure Your Vehicle Is Safe
On the other hand, if something lass terrible has happened, for example, if your car has broken down in a busy street or intersection, there are some other things you can do. You should take a look around and see if there is a safe place to pull your car off onto the side of the road. When you do this, make sure that you put some cones or flares around your car as well as on the tires so people driving by will know it’s broken down and be extra careful driving around it.
6. When The Help Arrives
The best thing you could do for your safety is to stay far away from the tow truck when it shows up. The driver will hook your car up to the truck, and then take it to wherever you need them to. If the problem with your car was minor, like a flat tire or dead battery, then they might be able to fix it for you. On the other hand, if your car needs major work, then the tow truck driver might give you a ride to wherever you are going. In any case, make sure they have given you an estimate before they work on your car if it needs repair since this will be helpful when you fight with your insurance company or file a claim.
7. Have Your Car Checked
If your car breaks down once, then there is a good chance it might happen again. You should have all of the important information on hand about what happened and why. For example, did your car break down because the engine was not working properly? If that is the case, then you should try to get it checked out by a mechanic as soon as possible. This way, you will know if your car truly needs to be fixed, and you don’t have to worry about losing control of it on the road.
8. Keeping Your Car In Good Condition
The last safety step that you should take is to make sure that your car is in good condition. Ensure that it has working brakes, tires, and a steering wheel that operates smoothly. Keep an eye out for any lights or gauges that are not working, as well as any other issues you notice with the inside or outside of your car. That way, you can prevent your car from breaking down in the first place, and you’ll be safe when going on a trip.
The best way to keep your car in good condition is by taking care of it. This means regularly checking the lights, tires, gauges, and other features for any issues that may arise. If something does seem off, then make sure to take it to a mechanic or car service center to get it checked out. It’s always best to be safe and keep your car in good condition, rather than to let it wear down and make you lose control.
