Roadside Safety Assistant
Clear, ordered steps for the moments that matter: breakdown, flat tyre, accident, overheating, smoke or fire, a red warning light or a car that will not start.
Tool
What is happening?
Breakdown on the road
Hazard lights on and get off the traffic lane if you can.
- Steer to the hard shoulder, a lay-by or as far right as possible (left in countries that drive on the left).
- Put on a high-visibility vest before you get out.
- Everyone gets out on the side away from traffic and waits behind the safety barrier, well away from the car.
- Place the warning triangle behind the car at the distance your country requires, walking along the edge of the road facing traffic.
- Call roadside assistance or the breakdown number of your insurance, and give your exact location.
Do not: Do not stay in the car on a motorway, and do not try repairs in the traffic lane.
Flat tyre
Hold the steering wheel firmly, slow down gently and do not brake hard.
- Pull over somewhere flat and safe, away from traffic; hazard lights on.
- Vest on, passengers out to a safe place, warning triangle behind the car.
- Apply the parking brake and put the car in gear or P.
- Change the wheel only if you are well clear of traffic; otherwise call roadside assistance.
- With a space-saver spare or a repair kit, keep to the speed limit printed on it and have the tyre replaced soon.
Do not: Do not change a wheel on the motorway hard shoulder on the traffic side.
Accident
If anyone is hurt or trapped, or there is fire or leaking fuel: call the emergency number now.
- Hazard lights on, engine off, vest on.
- Secure the scene: warning triangle behind the vehicles; keep people behind the barrier.
- Give first aid as far as you can; do not move injured people unless they are in immediate danger.
- Take photos, note the time, place and the other drivers’ details and insurance; fill in an accident report if your country uses one.
- Call your insurance and, if the car cannot be driven, roadside assistance.
Do not: Do not admit liability or leave the scene before the details are exchanged and, where required, the police have arrived.
Smoke or fire
Stop at once where it is safe, engine off, everyone out and well away from the car.
- Call the emergency number.
- Keep at least 30 metres away and stay upwind; warn other road users.
- Do not open the bonnet: fresh air can make a fire flare up.
- Use an extinguisher only on a small fire, from a distance, and only if you can stay safe.
- With an electric or hybrid car, tell the emergency services; battery fires can restart.
Do not: Do not go back to the car for belongings.
Engine overheating
Turn off the air conditioning and turn the heater to hot and full to take heat away; stop safely as soon as you can.
- Stop, engine off, hazard lights on.
- Wait at least 30 minutes for the engine to cool.
- Check the coolant level only when the engine is cold.
- If the level is low, top up with the right coolant or, in an emergency, water; have it checked soon.
- If the temperature rises again, do not drive on: call roadside assistance.
Do not: Do not open the coolant cap while the engine is hot: the coolant is under pressure and can scald.
Red warning light
Red means stop: find a safe place to stop as soon as you can.
- Look up the light in the owner’s manual or on PitClue’s warning light pages.
- Oil pressure, temperature, brake or charging light: switch the engine off and do not drive on.
- Check what you can safely check: oil and coolant levels with the engine off and cold.
- If unsure, call roadside assistance instead of driving.
Do not: Do not ignore an oil pressure light even for a short distance; the engine can be damaged within minutes.
Car will not start
Make sure the car is in P or neutral and that you press the brake (or clutch).
- Listen: a fast click or nothing at all often points to the battery; a normal cranking sound without starting points elsewhere.
- With a keyless car, hold the key against the start button or the place shown in the manual.
- Jump-start only with the correct cable order and if the battery is not damaged or leaking.
- After three short attempts, stop and call roadside assistance to avoid flooding the engine or draining the battery.
Do not: Do not jump-start a frozen, swollen or leaking battery.
General safety advice. Rules for warning triangles, vests and motorway stops differ by country; follow the police and emergency services.
How to use it
Choose what is happening. The steps are in order; the first box says what to do first. In any emergency call the emergency number before anything else.
How it is calculated
The steps follow the basic road safety advice of road safety organisations and the general rules for warning triangles and high-visibility vests. Rules differ by country; follow the instructions of the police and emergency services.