Breaking down is stressful but manageable if you know the moves. The goal is always the same: get yourself and the car as safe as possible, make yourself visible, and get help.
On an ordinary road, switch on your hazard lights and, if you have a warning triangle, place it about 45 metres behind the car — but never on a motorway, where walking back to place one would put you in terrible danger. On a motorway you get behind the barrier and use the emergency phones or your mobile.
Tunnels have their own rules, because a fire in a tunnel is extremely dangerous. If you break down in one, switch off the engine, leave the keys, and follow the signs to an emergency exit. If there's a small fire the extinguishers are there — but getting people out and alerting others always comes first.
The bits that matter
- Breakdown: hazard lights on, get to a safe place, make yourself visible.
- Warning triangle about 45 m behind — but never on a motorway.
- In a tunnel: switch off, leave keys, follow signs to an emergency exit.
Memory anchor
Triangle 45 metres back — but never on a motorway
On an ordinary road, a warning triangle goes about 45 metres behind your car. On a motorway, never — the hard shoulder is too dangerous to walk along. There, get behind the barrier and phone for help. Triangle 45 back; motorway, behind the barrier.
Out on the road
The breakdown on the hard shoulder
You lose power and coast onto the hard shoulder. You don't get out the driver's door into live traffic or walk back with a triangle — you leave by the left-hand door, get up behind the barrier with any passengers, and call for help from there. On a motorway, behind the barrier is the only safe place to be.
The mistake everyone makes
Placing a warning triangle on the motorway
It feels responsible to warn traffic with a triangle — but walking along a motorway hard shoulder to place one is one of the most dangerous things you could do. On a motorway the rule flips: no triangle, get behind the barrier, and let the emergency phones do the warning.