What should you do if your car breaks down

What To Do During A Car Breakdown

Car breakdowns can happen anytime, anywhere. Your car can break down on your way to work, when taking kids to school or during a road trip, often resulting in a terrible inconvenience. While some failures are simple and may be readily repaired so that you can continue with your journey, others are complicated and, in addition to requiring expert assistance, may be costly to repair on time.

This article highlights some common car breakdowns and their causes and the safety measures you should take when your car breaks down on a busy highway or country road. The article will also discuss how getting a roadside assistance cover can help you take care of complex and costly car breakdowns when they happen while you are on the road.

The Most Prevalent Causes Of Car Breakdowns

Most car problems, such as running out of gas or having a flat tyre, are avoidable. However, your vehicle can break down unexpectedly. A car can break down for all sorts of reasons. Knowing the most common causes of car breakdowns is a proactive way of preventing them from happening.

Here is a list of the primary reasons cars break down:

• Bald or poorly maintained tyres

• A faulty battery

• A low amount of fuel and dysfunctional fuel gauge

• A faulty alternator

• Using the wrong fuel

• A faulty electrical system

• An overheating engine

What To Do In The Event Your Car Breaks Down

It can be really challenging to find a safe place to stop the car when it breaks down, whether in the middle of a busy road or in a remote area. It is hazardous to break down on a busy highway with insufficient room to pull into an emergency lane or a country road in a remote location.

Car breakdowns create a real danger to you and other road users when they happen. You should know what to do if your car breaks down. Below are the road safety and personal security measures to take when your car stalls on a busy road or on a country road.

Busy Highway

Fixing a breakdown on a busy highway may not be as much of a hassle as in remote areas, and getting help is easier and faster. However, note that things will work out smoothly only if you observe road safety.

Here are the steps to take to guarantee you and other road users are safe:

• Do not panic, as this will affect your ability to act fast and appropriately

• Turn on the hazard lights

• Pull over into an emergency lane while you observe road safety

• If there are potential risks around, keep doors and windows locked and do not exit your car until help arrives

• If it is at night or visibility is poor, use warning lights

• Place a warning triangle to inform other motorists about your parked car

• Assess the cause of the breakdown

• Fix it if you can or call for assistance

• Wait for help to arrive, usually in the form of a patrol car, your mechanic, or roadside assistance

Country Road

Help is not always close at hand when your car breaks down in less populated parts of Australia. This is typically the case in areas with little or no traffic. Prior preparation is essential if you are planning to drive through remote areas. This ensures that you won't be stuck on the road for hours or even days.

This is what you should pack before embarking on a drive down Australia's isolated roads, aside from ensuring your car is well serviced:

• Satellite phone or other means of remote area communication

• Plenty of water

• Extra fuel

• Sufficient spare tyres

• Well-equipped car emergency kit

• Essential spare parts

Remote Area

• Do not panic

• Turn on hazard lights/warning lights

• Safely stop the car and park as far to the left as is safely possible behind safety barriers if available

• Assess the safety of your surroundings and only get out of the car if it is safe to do so. Such vigilance is critical in ensuring your breakdown does not turn into personal harm from would-be robbers.

• If there are potential risks around, keep doors and windows locked and do not exit your car until help arrives

• If you get out of the car, keep the keys on you

• If you have children or a pet, make sure the car is not hot inside and keep them hydrated

• Signal for help by drawing the attention of other motorists. You may request a few road users to hang around for security purposes as you find a solution to your problem.

• Fix the breakdown if you can, or reach out to expert mechanics nearby

• Call roadside assistance if it is available for you and wait for them to arrive

Car Breakdowns You Can Fix By Yourself

There are chances that you can sort out the problem when your car breaks down. Common issues you can fix yourself with the right tools at hand include:

• Changing a flat tyre

• Jump starting your car

• Headlight bulb replacement

• Replacing ineffective wiper blades

• Repairing radiator hose leaks

Some car breakdowns are easy to fix. Others must be handled by experts to guarantee your safety and that of other road users. Timely solutions to such complex car breakdown issues can be costly and out of your reach if you do not have access to roadside assistance.

Car Breakdowns That Need Roadside Assistance

Cars break down unexpectedly, and it can be a traumatic experience. It's worse when it happens late at night in a remote location. You must do everything necessary to get going.

Your trip might be ruined if the breakdown is too complicated or too expensive to repair on the spot. Here is a list of complex and costly car breakdown issues that you may not be able to sort on the spot when they happen.

• Replacing a car battery

• Complex tyre issues and lock-outs

• Empty fuel tank

• You locked the car key in the car

• Braking system

• Engine problems

• Other complex mechanical breakdowns

Signing up for roadside assistance cover is the best way to reduce the stress of complex and costly vehicle breakdown issues.

Who provides roadside assistance cover in Australia?

Sometimes roadside assistance is included in your car breakdown insurance or comprehensive motor vehicle insurance. This is something you may want to check with your car insurer before buying a roadside assistance cover. In Australia, you can buy roadside assistance cover from the following entities:

• Insurance companies

• Motoring clubs

• Car companies

• Car dealerships

A roadside assistance cover guarantees you timely professional help when your car breaks down without you having to spend any money on the spot. Most car insurers have online resources to help you:

• Find answers to most car insurance FAQs‍

• Compare car insurance plans

• Calculate the cost of different car insurance plans

What does roadside assistance cover include?

It gives you peace of mind knowing you are sure to get help following an unexpected car breakdown. Signing up for roadside assistance is something you should think about if you want to quickly get out of a problematic car breakdown. At a minimum, roadside assistance guarantees you:

• Virtual assistance through their call centre to help you diagnose the problem and advise you on how to fix it on your own

• Access to expert technicians who will be sent to wherever you are to fix your car

• Access to a tow truck to get you to a service centre

Your roadside assistance cover may also include:

• Car health check

• Accommodation for when your car breaks down far away from home

• Alternative transport, mostly taxi, while they take your vehicle to a service centre

• Flat battery replacement

• Jumpstart

• Tyre change services

• Fuel delivery

The more expensive your roadside assistance plan is, the more the services you can access when your car breaks down.

How To Prevent Car Breakdowns

Maintaining your car ensures you and your family enjoy road trips without the inconvenience and nuisance of a breakdown. The following are essential car maintenance steps you can take to enjoy trouble-free motoring:

• Service your car regularly

• Test your battery charge regularly, check for signs of corroded terminals and top up the electrolyte if you need to

• Keep your car tyres and spare tyre in good condition, maintain the correct tyre pressure and never drive on bald tyres

• Watch out for dashboard warning lights while driving

• Plan ahead and know the amount of fuel you will need, ensure your fuel gauge is working correctly and know what fuel stations are available along your route

Sign Up For Road Assistance Today

You can experience a car breakdown anytime and anywhere, especially if your car is not in good condition. When your car breaks down, especially in the middle of a busy road, you must always act immediately to guarantee your safety and that of other road users. Also, work carefully and quickly to fix the breakdown and get moving.

This article has highlighted how you can prevent stressful car breakdowns and what you should do when facing a mid-journey car breakdown. It also highlights how you can cushion yourself from the uncertainties of car breakdowns by signing up for roadside assistance cover.

If you think your car won't make the journey, it may be time to get a more reliable car before you venture out.