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HOW TO SURVIVE... the stressful breakdown experience
Contrary to popular belief, cars don't only break down in the winter. Members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club confirm being let down in the height of the summer, in traffic queues, on holiday, en route to an important business meeting or simply driving back from the local supermarket with young children in tow and a bootful of frozen food.
In case this happens to you, here are FOXY's Top Ten Tips to help you survive the stress of a breakdown experience, always remembering to put personal safety at the top of the motoring agenda.
- Be prepared - always carry a fully charged mobile phone containing telephone numbers of emergency contacts, a map of the area, a first aid kit and hi-visibility clothing. Include food, drink, suitable footwear and blankets during the winter, in snowy conditions and when heading far from the madding crowd.
- Stop somewhere safe - given enough warning, drop your speed, switch on your hazard lights and where possible either turn off a main road or pull over on a straight stretch of road.
- Wherever possible, always exit a motorway rather than pull up on the hard shoulder. When unavoidable, use the hard shoulder and try to stop near an emergency phone, parking with your wheels turned to the left ie away from the traffic.
- Leave the car by the passenger door side. Anything within half a metre of the white line on a hard shoulder/lay by runs the risk of being struck by passing traffic.
- Display your emergency triangle at least 45 meters behind your car (NOT ON MOTORWAYS)
- Don't wait in the car on a motorway, busy main road or dual carriageway. Even if it is raining, get all occupants out as you are at risk of being hit from the rear or being involved in another accident. Wait in a safe place away from traffic - if necessary climb up an embankment and over any crash barrier.
- NEVER attempt to repair a car by a busy roadside.
- NEVER attempt to retrieve lost loads or tyres from busy roads/motorways.
- NEVER cross motorway lanes.
- Ask your breakdown insurer/contact to keep you informed of rescue progress and to give you a name to call back, in case of subsequent concerns. Most breakdown services use the same network of UK recovery agents so it's reassuring to know the name of the one that has been authorised to rescue you.
Needless to say, prevention is always better than cure and a well maintained car is not just safer but it's much less likely to break down too. Always make sure your car is well fuelled and keep up to date about FOXY's latest motoring safety advice and car checks which include tyres and windscreen washer levels. It also makes sense to get your battery checked before winter approaches as more than half of all cold-weather car breakdowns are caused by flat batteries.
Find out about FOXY Lady Drivers Club and members' free quarterly Car Fitness Checks (worth £60) covering tyres, lights, windscreen, oil and coolant levels plus seasonal items such as the car's battery, brake fluid and anti-freeze levels.
What does FOXY membership cost and include?
How to join FOXY