It's annoying to have your car break down, but it can be both annoying and frightening if your car breaks down on a motorway. What do you need to do to ensure your safety, along with the welfare of anyone travelling with you (not to mention other road users), if your car breaks down on a motorway?

The Sheer Speed of Other Vehicles

The danger of breaking down on a motorway is the sheer speed of other vehicles on the road. Vehicles can be travelling past you at 110km/h (or up to 130 km/h in the Northern Territory), and speed limits could even be increased in the future. A collision at this velocity can be absolutely catastrophic, so you need to quickly move your vehicle out of harm's way, as much as is possible at the location where your vehicle encounters trouble. 

Getting Your Vehicle to Safety

The moment your vehicle begins to lose power, you need to safely move across to the far-left lane. Although it will not be safe to attempt to drive your vehicle home, you might be able to reach an emergency breakdown bay on the motorway, if signage indicates that one is ahead. If it's not possible to reach a breakdown bay, pull over to the far-left shoulder of the motorway and turn off your engine.

Hazard Lights and Seatbelts

Once you have pulled over (whether in a breakdown bay or the motorway shoulder), activate your hazard lights, regardless of the time of day or amount of sunlight. You need to be sure that other drivers have every chance to see your vehicle and to note that it's experiencing trouble. While you're in your vehicle, keep your seatbelt fastened (and of course, the same goes for anyone else in your vehicle). This is in case a moving vehicle collides with your stationary vehicle.

Exiting the Vehicle

If it's safer outside of the vehicle (which is usually the case), everyone must exit on the passenger side. Do not open a vehicle door onto an active motorway. Everyone must move as far away from the motorway as possible. Children need to be closely supervised. If travelling with pets, they must either be kept on a leash or held in your arms.

Getting Assistance

You must call a tow truck for immediate breakdown towing. Clearly communicate that your vehicle is stranded on the motorway, and so the situation is urgent. The primary goal is to quickly remove your vehicle from a place where it could easily cause an accident. Time is of the essence, but a tow truck can usually be dispatched without delay. The precise reasons for the breakdown can be addressed later. 

Breaking down on a motorway can be frightening, and it's very much a case of safety first. For more information, contact a breakdown towing service.