A car breakdown, especially on a busy highway or interstate, is nerve-wracking, but if you know what to do, there’s no reason to panic. Below you’ll find guidelines to help you stay safe until help arrives when you break down on the roads in and around Frederick, MD.
Get Your Vehicle Off the Road
When you feel something is wrong with your car and you can still drive it, get off the road and away from traffic as soon as it’s safe to do so. Stop on the shoulder as far away from traffic as possible. Immediately turn on your car’s hazard lights to alert other motorists.
Make Your Vehicle Visible
Check for oncoming traffic and carefully exit your vehicle to take your flares and reflective warning triangles out of the trunk. Position the reflective warning triangles or flares behind your car, close to the road ten feet away, the next 100 feet away in line with the middle of your car’s bumper, and the third 300 feet behind your car’s right side. If it’s nighttime, switch on your car’s interior light to increase visibility.
Call Roadside Assistance
Lock your car’s doors, check the street name, and take note of any landmarks nearby to make it easier to find you. Call your Toyota dealership for roadside assistance and stay safely inside your car until help arrives. If your cellphone is not working, and you’re on a highway, use an emergency call box to call for help. If you are stranded on a busy highway or interstate, it shouldn’t be long before a highway patrol officer stops to assist you.
What to Do If You Can’t Move Your Vehicle
If your car suddenly breaks down on the road, especially on a busy highway or interstate, and you can’t move it, don’t attempt to push your vehicle to the shoulder. Switch on your hazards and turn on the interior lights to make your vehicle more visible and warn other motorists. If your car breaks down on the road, it’s not safe to stay in your vehicle. Check for traffic, exit your vehicle, and carefully cross the road to the shoulder.
Take extra caution when crossing the road at night or in bad weather conditions when visibility is poor. Stand next to the road, as far away from the traffic as possible, and call for assistance.
If your car suddenly breaks down, stay calm, follow the above guidelines, and keep yourself and your passengers safe. To prevent sudden breakdowns, trust DARCARS Toyota of Frederick. Schedule a maintenance service to ensure your Toyota is in perfect running condition and never lets you down. We hope you have found these tips helpful! To continue learning, click here for more auto-related blogs!
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