7 safety tips to know if your car breaks down

Guest Contributor: Shelby Fix, Car Coach 2.0

Your very first breakdown will be a little scary, but it’s important to stay calm and remember these important safety tips:

• Get your car off the road. No matter what the issue is with your vehicle, if you are able, it’s very important to pull your vehicle over to the side of the road. Make sure to turn your hazard lights on so the other drivers on the road know that something is wrong and/or that you’re slowing down. When you get to the side of the road put your car in park, engage the emergency brake and turn your steering wheel away from the road/traffic. Also, don’t get out of the car if it’s stranded in traffic, especially if you’re stuck on a busy highway.
• Call for help. Call roadside assistance for your vehicle. Make sure to always carry your cell and charger with you.
• Advise others that you’re in trouble. Putting on your hazard lights is a very important thing to do in this situation, but it doesn’t necessarily let other drivers know that you’re having car problems. If you’re over far enough on the shoulder and you can get out safely, it’s an extra notification to other drivers when you put a flare or an LED emergency light about 50 feet behind your car. NOTE: If you feel that it’s not safe to get out of your vehicle, just stay with your seatbelt fastened until help arrives.
• Stay with your vehicle. This is important for multiple reasons. First, it’s best if you stay in your vehicle and continue to have your seatbelt on. If it’s unsafe to remain in the car (due to something extreme), then being away from the roadway and stepping over a barrier is an option until help comes. Second, if you called roadside assistance, they usually can’t help you unless the driver is present. Third, roads are very dangerous places for people on foot. A statistic shows that about 4,000 pedestrians are killed each year in the US*. The situation can be far more deadly when cars are driving at 60 or 70 mph.
• It’s probably not the best time to take a stab at auto repair. If you have some experience with basic maintenance, you might be able to identify the issue. If you have a flat tire and you’ve never changed a tire before, you can either use a tire inflation product or call roadside assistance. Changing your tires can be tricky and if you’re on the shoulder of a highway, it isn’t the ideal time and place to learn how to do it.
• Use common sense. Everyone’s experience is a little different when it comes to vehicles breaking down. It depends on where you are, the time of day, what you’re driving, and the problem. It’s important to know what’s going on around you while the vehicle is stopped.
• Be careful of strangers. Your parents probably told you this a thousand times, but it’s important to keep in mind. There are plenty of great people out there eager to help people in trouble. However, there are also a handful of bad people out there that can put you in danger. If a stranger pulls over and offers to help you, it’s probably best to remain in the car with your doors locked. You can roll down the window slightly and tell them help is on the way. Call the police if need be. Unfortunately, we need to be more careful with people these days, so please remember, safety first!

Finally, you may be able to prevent most breakdowns with regular maintenance. Try your best not to put yourself in this sort of situation. Having basic knowledge of what to check before going on a drive can help you in the long run. Be Car Care Aware. Follow Shelby Fix, Car Coach 2.0 and more car tips at: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / ShelbyFix.com

*Source: CDC