If You Breakdown – Car Breakdown Advice

EMERGENCY BREAKDOWN NUMBER

0800 300 988

24 hrs a day, 7 days a week

Before you set off

Don’t leave home without:

• An up to date road atlas
• A charged up mobile phone
• A red warning triangle
• A torch, ice scraper, pen & paper

If you have an accident

Stay calm

• Don’t accept responsibility or blame.
• Don’t drive away. You must stop if anyone has been hurt or any damage caused.
• Get the names and addresses of other drivers and witnesses.
• Ask who their car insurer is, get their policy number and car registration.
• Make a note of the incident time, the weather condition and state of the road.
• Sketch each of the vehicles’ positions marking the positions of road signs, any obstructions, street lights, skid marks, debris.
• Call our claims helpline 0800 300 252 as soon as possible.

If you breakdown

• Try to pull off the road and park in a safe place.
• Put your hazard warning lights on.
• Put a warning triangle on the road at least 45 metres behind your broken down vehicle. However, don’t use a warning triangle on the motorway.
• Keep your sidelights on if it is dark or visibility is poor.
• Lock the doors and call for help from mobile or from a payphone

If you breakdown on the motorway

• Try to stop near an emergency phone pulling onto the hard shoulder as far from the inside lane as possible.
• Switch on your hazard warning lights.
• Get out of the car on the passenger side and walk to the emergency phone on your side of the motorway. These phones are free and connect directly to the police who will be able to locate you so its better to use them than a mobile.
• Face oncoming traffic when you phone.
• If you are travelling alone or feel at risk wait inside your car with the doors locked.