Tips for surviving a car breakdown during a journey

Although car breakdowns are a fairly commonplace phenomenon and can happen to the best of us, it still seems to catch many people completely off guard.
More often than not, a car breakdown can lead to a highly stressful situation – especially if it’s night time, you’re completely alone, your car is on the highway, or you’re in the middle of a road trip. In these tense situations, common sense tends to take its leave and cause you to make increasingly disoriented decisions like parking your car at an intersection or letting your kids wander around the vehicle.
These blunders can cause inconvenience for other drivers, and in extreme cases, can be fatal. Moreover, the frustration and fear will be compounded if it’s the first time you’re experiencing a breakdown. So what should I do in such situations? Well, here are some handy tips you can follow to survive a car breakdown.

Carry an Emergency Kit
It’s better to take precautions firsthand rather than looking for a cure afterwards. Therefore, packing an emergency kit and storing it in your trunk can help you out in the unfortunate event of your car breaking down. What does the emergency kit include? Well, make sure to fill the kit with essential items like a first aid kit, non-perishable food, water, and some toys if you’re travelling with a band of kids.
Often, a car breakdown is the result of a battery malfunction. So, make sure to include jumper cables in your emergency kit. Also, make a list of contact details of car-care services along the route you’re driving on since you might experience a car breakdown in a region where you might not get a Wifi or data connection.
Lastly, if you are travelling in cold weather, a blanket and an extra pair of warm clothes might be an excellent addition to the emergency kit.

Get Out of Harm’s Way
The stress of a breakdown can cloud a driver’s decision-making and can make them forget to roll their vehicle out of a deadly intersection.
If you’ve suffered such a fate, the first thing you must do is get your passengers, you, and your car out of danger’s way. If the vehicle isn’t completely broken down, pull it to the side of the road. Also, make sure to turn the hazard lights on so that other drivers know something is wrong with your vehicle and steer clear of it. Once you’re on the side of the road, engage the emergency brake, and rotate your steering wheel away from the traffic.
However, if you’re stuck in traffic on a busy road or highway, don’t make the mistake of getting out of your car. Stay inside. At most, you’ll be angrily beeped at, but they’ll soon get over it once they realise that your vehicle has broken down.

Stay Visible
If you’ve suffered the misfortune of a car breakdown at night, you must do your best to stay visible. The best way to maintain your visibility is to turn on the interior lights along with the headlights. Ensure that the engine is running; otherwise, powering the lights will quickly drain your battery.
If possible, get out of the car and lift the bonnet. An open bonnet alerts towing trucks, patrol vehicles, and other passing vehicles of your situation. If you’re lucky enough, someone might stop and help you.

Get in touch with Roadside Assistance
Once you’re in a safe and visible spot, it would be a good idea to get in touch with a roadside assistance company. However, if you’re in an unfamiliar location, you may not know any roadside assistance company. In such cases, the best thing to do is conduct a google search for ‘Roadside assistance near me.’ A roadside assistance company will alleviate the car problem on the spot or tow it to a nearby repair shop. In any case, your car will be repaired within a day or two, after which you can continue your journey.
If your car has broken down due to a dysfunctional battery, you can also search for ‘car battery shop near me’ since many car battery vendors provide on-spot battery check, battery-repair, or battery replacement services.

Have you suffered a car battery breakdown on your much-awaited road trip? Well, there’s no need to panic. We, at Car Fit Experts, have many branches spread across the country and can provide your car with on-spot battery check and replacement services in case of a breakdown. Wherever you are, make a google search for ‘Car battery Shop near Me,’ and you’ll get our contact details in an instant.
Also, if you’re about to go on an extended road-trip in your car, it may help to get your battery checked beforehand, lest you suffer a breakdown mid-journey. Get in touch with us today.