Cars can break down anytime and anywhere. The vehicles are unpredictable and these machines can break down at any time, especially if you are not careful about the service schedule. Maintaining a car is very important, otherwise the vital parks of the car can die at any time and you can be stranded at any time or on any road.
People feel stranded and helpless when something like this happens, especially women. However, you don’t have to feel like this. There are some things that you can do that will help you in this situation. Here are some tips that will help you when your car breaks down.
Keep them in your mind and always try to stay safe.
Be Cautious – Check Your Car Before You Leave
It is always better to be cautious and safe rather than be sorry and stranded on a lonely road. Instead of suffering after you have a broken down car, it is better to check your car before you leave the house. You should check the car and look for potential damages.
Check the tyres, check the engine and check for any oil leaks. They might not be a lot of help, but if one or more thing about your car wrong, you can actually have them fixed before you take your car out for a long trip.
Also, you should maintain your service schedule and make sure that your car is in perfect condition at all times. If you maintain a proper service schedule, you will be on top of any issue with your car and you can have them fixed on time, rather than wait for them to fester and become something that is irreparable.
But, if you become stranded with a broken down car, then here are some things that you can do to stay safe.
Move Your Car Off the Road
In order to stay safe, you need to move your car off the road and park it at the side of the car. The moment you feel your car is breaking down, start moving your car towards the shoulder so that it can be away and out of the way of the upcoming cars. Even when something seriously wrong with the car, the car will not stop completely, you will have some minutes or seconds in which you can guide the car off the road.
Pull your car in park, start the emergency brake and move the steering wheel away from the road so that your car does not accidently roll into oncoming traffic. Once you are parked safely away from danger, you should turn on your hazard lights so that the oncoming traffic knows that your car is on the side of the road for a reason and not ram into you in any condition.
Keep a Gas Can With You
In case you are stranded because you ran out of gas, you need to make sure that you have a spare gas can with you. If you know that there is a gas station nearby, you should take that gas can with you to the station and fill it up.
Be cautious about crossing the road and lock the car before you leave it behind so that no one steals it. Also, you need to make sure that you take the car keys with you and all the doors (including trunk hatch) is locked properly.
Get Help!
To start with, you can use your phone and call for help. This is the most efficient way of getting help in this condition, especially if you are on a lonely road. You should call any road side assistance company or a mechanic, if you can’t call someone like this, you should at least a friend or family member to help you out in this situation.
Also, you can get help from the drivers on the road. Turning on the hazard lights is a start, but this will not be enough. You need to get out of the car and use other methods of help. If you see any traffic police around, try to get their attention because they will definitely help you.
If you have road flares, take them out and place a couple of them around your car from a distance of at least 50 feet. This will get the attention of people and you will be able to get help. You can also open the hood of your car so that the passing drivers can see you are in trouble and you need help.
Don’t Leave Your Car
It is always better to stay with your vehicle when it is broken down, especially if you have called for help from any emergency assistance company. Also, you should also remain within or around your car so that you do not become a victim of a road accident.
Don’t Try to Repair Your Car on Your Own
If you don’t have any experience with car repairs, now is not the time for you to try your hand at fixing your car. Of course, if you have experience fixing your car and you know what you are doing, then you should not wait for anyone. In fact, you should check what the problem is and fix it.
However, if you don’t have any experience, it is best to let the car be and wait for someone who has experience of fixing cars. You don’t want to make the matter worse by doing something wrong. So wait patiently for someone else to fix your car.
Be Careful Of Strangers
Although you might want to take help regardless of any form it comes in, you need to be wary of strangers. There are many good people who will want to help, but there would be people who would want to take advantage of the situation as well.
So be very careful, try to remain in the car with the doors locked and the windows up. If you have to talk to anyone, simply roll down the window a little bit and talk through that. Always make sure that you have the number for police if you feel like you are not safe.
These are some tips that will help you if you ever have a broken down car. Follow these tips and always make sure that you are ready and prepared for anything. These tips can help you, but you need to be prepared and vigilant too. Check your car tyres, your fuel levels and other important things before you start your journey and fix any problem that arises and before it worsens.
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