10 ways to stay calm when your car breaks down

If you’re worried about what to do when your car breaks down then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re currently standing roadside and you don’t know what to do or you’re anxiously prepared for a worst-case scenario, you need to ensure you’re prepared for your car to break down at any time.

While it may be overwhelming at first, there are lots of tips and tricks you can pick up to ensure you’re staying as calm as you possibly can. From moving your car to a safe place to calling for assistance, the more you’re doing to protect yourself the better. With that in mind, here are 10 ways to stay calm when your car breaks down: 

DON’T PANIC

Although this seems obvious, the best way to stay calm of course is not to panic. While you may be worried that you have just broken down, getting into a panic over what you’re going to do is only going to affect your judgement and cause you to make bad decisions. The sooner you start figuring out the next steps to take, the sooner you will be able to get back on the road. If you do find that you’re worried, give yourself a couple of minutes to panic and try not to make any important decisions during that time. For a guide to staying calm in an emergency, you can visit this site here. 

MOVE YOUR CAR TO A SAFE PLACE

If your car has broken down and you are not in a safe place, you need to try and move your car to somewhere where it’s not going to cause an issue. While this may be difficult on your own, pushing your car to the side of the road should be your main priority. If you can, try to flag down a couple of people that can help you. Usually, people will offer to help if they see you’re in distress. 

If you absolutely cannot move your car to another place, you need to put your hazard lights on to warn people that your car is stationary in a place it shouldn’t be stationary. 

DON’T GET BACK INTO YOUR CAR

Once you have moved your car to a safe place, you shouldn’t get back into it. Although it may be tempting, it is not safe to be in your car for a number of different reasons. First of all, someone may not realise that your car is stationary and they may drive straight into it, causing you a road traffic accident. Secondly, you do not know the cause of your breakdown and there may be further complications with the car that could cause harm to you. 

The best thing to do, of course, is to stand at a safe distance from your car and the road. 

CONSIDER THE LIGHTING CONDITION

Another important thing to bear in mind when it comes to breaking down is the lighting conditions, as these could have a huge effect on your safety. If you find that it’s starting to get dark and you’re in a low light area, for example, you need to be sure you’re wearing reflective clothing that will alert other drivers to your whereabouts. This is something you should always keep in your car. To purchase reflective clothing to keep in your car, you can visit this site here. 

CHECK WHETHER YOU CAN REPAIR YOUR CAR YOURSELF

If you think it’s going to be something you can do, you may want to check if you can repair your car yourself. Whether it’s recharging the battery or replacing a tyre, often there are ways to get yourself back on the road without having to call for assistance. If you’re unsure, someone driving by may also be able to help you, you might just have to flag them down first. 

CALL SOMEONE FOR ASSISTANCE

If you are absolutely sure you’re not going to be able to fix your car, you need to call someone for assistance. Whether this means calling a repair service or calling a tow truck, you need to be sure you’re getting your car either on or off the road as soon as possible. If you’re unsure about when you should call a tow truck, you can visit this site here. 

SPEAK TO FAMILY MEMBERS

If you’re getting a little bit worried and people need to know where you are, you should let your family members know that you have broken down. Not only will this let them know that you’re safe, but it will give you a chance to make arrangements for a ride home if you need to. If you’re away from family or travelling, it’s still important you let someone know. 

IF YOU NEED TO CALL, CALL SOMEONE TO COME AND COLLECT YOUR CHILDREN

If you’re with your children and you know it’s going to be a long time before help arrives, you may want to consider calling a family member or friend to come and collect your children. It’s not safe for them to be at the side of the road for a long period of time, especially if it’s cold and dark. 

MAKE USE OF YOUR EMERGENCY KIT

Everyone should have an emergency kit in their car and now is the time to use it. From the bottles of water to warm clothing, make use of what you have to keep you safe and warm. 

PUT YOUR SAFTY FIRST

Finally, you need to be sure you’re doing all that you can to put your safety first. Although you may want to get back on the road as soon as possible, it’s important you’re being safe and not making and hasty decisions. 

With lots of tips to bear in mind, you can be sure you’re staying as calm as you possibly can. What else can you do? Did we miss anything off of the list? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below. 


Photo Credit: Lexus

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