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If your vehicle breaks down, your first priority must be safety
for yourself, your passengers and other road users. You should
not attempt to seek help until safety is assured. Green Flag
has put together the following guidelines to help you deal
with a breakdown situation as safely as possible.
On the motorway
The main thing to remember about the motorway hard shoulder
is that it is to be used in real emergency situations only.
You should only ever stop there if you have no other alternative.
If your car develops a problem on the motorway it is always
best to leave at the next exit or pull into a service station,
wherever possible.
If you have to use the hard shoulder, we advise the following:
- Use the hard shoulder lane to decelerate before stopping
as far to the left as possible, preferably near an emergency
telephone
- Take care to look out for any debris on the hard shoulder
that could damage your vehicle
- Turn your front wheels towards the grass verge
- Turn on your hazard lights along with sidelights in the
dark or when visibility is poor, but do NOT display a red
triangle or other warning device- with fast moving traffic,
the risks outweigh the benefits
- Get people out of the car by the left hand doors and behind
the crash barrier if there is one and onto the grass bank,
the further away from traffic the better
- If possible, use a roadside emergency telephone which will
pinpoint your position, rather than a mobile phone
- When walking along the hard shoulder to or from the telephone,
keep as far away from the traffic as possible, and keep in
mind the danger that it poses. Once you have used the telephone,
wait with any other passengers as far away from the traffic
as possible
- If it is not possible to wait away from your car, or if
you consider this to be dangerous, then return to your vehicle
and wait in the front passenger seat with your doors locked.
Bear in mind, however, that although you may feel threatened
standing alone on the hard shoulder, the risk of another vehicle
hitting yours is far greater than your risk of being attacked
- Do NOT attempt to repair your vehicle on a hard shoulder.
It is highly dangerous, particularly on the side nearest the
traffic. Always seek professional help using the emergency
telephones provided, which are never more than a mile apart
on the motorway
- Once you have received assistance and your vehicle has been
repaired, return to the motorway using the hard shoulder as
an acceleration lane, taking care to merge fully with the
traffic in the first lane only when you are at a similar speed
and there is a large enough gap to do so
You must NEVER use the motorway hard shoulder to:
- Stop for a break, to eat or drink or to go to the toilet-
use the service stations
- Use a mobile telephone
- Check a route or map - make sure you are familiar with your
journey before you set off, if you do need to check your directions,
leave the motorway first or pull into a service station
Off the motorway
If your car breaks down on an ordinary road or carriageway,
you should:
- Leave your car in as safe a place as possible, away from
traffic
- Switch off the engine and put out any cigarettes
- Switch on your hazard lights and if it is dark, or if visibility
is poor, leave your sidelights on
- Display a red triangle if you have one
- Find the nearest telephone or use a mobile phone if it is
safe to do so
- If you have had an accident, call the emergency services
first, then make contact with any witnesses
- Then contact your breakdown service provider.
- Tell the call advisor your car registration number (or your
membership number), the location of your car and the nature
of your problem
- Don't worry about calling Green Flag from abroad as all
calls are taken by multi-lingual advisors at our UK headquarters.
- Wait for assistance in a safe place, away from your vehicle,
keeping clear of the road and traffic
- Do not stand behind your vehicle, where you may obscure
its lights
In any breakdown situation, whether in the UK or in Europe,
try to remain calm and remember that your priority is to keep
yourself and any passengers as safe as possible. Always make
sure that you have adequate breakdown cover to ensure that
help is never far away.
Information provided courtesy of Green
Flag Motoring Assistance.
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