You’re driving down the road when suddenly your car dies. You look out the window to see that you are on a hill and there is no one in sight. The car will not start, so what do you do? There are many steps to take if this happens and this article lists down 8 of which for you to follow.
1- Exit via the passenger door
One of the primary things that you need to do in case your car gets stranded on the road is to exit via the car’s passenger door. This is because the car will likely be tilted to one side and so if you exit via any of the car doors, there could be a risk that you might roll down from your seat.
· Exit through an opening in the car roof or windows
Another thing for you to do when your car gets stranded on a hill is to exit through an opening like the car roof or windows. This is a good option that you should take if somehow your car’s door got jammed due to the impact of its collision with another car, tree, or rock and so cannot be opened from inside.
2- Move your vehicle
Another thing that you need to do when your car gets stranded on the road is to move your vehicle. This means that you may need to find a tow truck or a semi-truck towing service for you to be able to take your car to a reputable mechanic later. Try not to waste gas if you do not know how much is left. When car assistance arrives, then they should start towing your car away rather than wasting money and putting yourself in a more dangerous situation because of bad weather or conditions.
· Get the car towed with AAA
When car assistance comes, they will also be able to tow your car away. They have a lot of roadside assistance programs that you can take advantage of if you are going to be stranded on the side of the road for some time and need emergency car service or car help because there is no one around who could assist you in such cases.
3- Try calling 911 first
If ever this happens during an emergency, do not waste time, and call 911 first. This is the fastest car assistance that you can ever get in terms of roadside car help. They will be able to assist you immediately because they have a lot of car tow companies who work with them especially during emergencies like this one.
· Try calling your car insurance company for car help
If you are not able to get car assistance immediately because you do not have car insurance or roadside car help, then it is still better if you try calling your car insurance company instead. They may be able to send a car tow truck right away and take care of the problem for you. You can also call friends or family members who live nearby so that they can help you out.
4- Drive to the car assistance shop
If ever your car cannot be towed and it is still running, then consider driving yourself to a car assistance center or mechanic so that they can take care of the problem for you. Of course, this means that car service will cost more money but at least it will not be as expensive as car towing and car repairs.
5- What you can do with your car
It is also important that while waiting for car assistance, try doing things around the car so that it would not waste time being stranded on the road because of a flat tire or whatever problem occurs with your car at the moment. You may bring out car snacks and car drinks so that you can eat or drink while waiting for car assistance to arrive.
6- Avoid staying inside the car
Do not wait by your car because it may be dangerous if other cars are passing by, especially on highways where traffic is a lot faster than normal roads. You might get hit, which would cause more damage to your car and you if ever this happens, you can check my blog for a car accident attorney.
7- Do not waste time
Try doing these things as soon as possible because car assistance will arrive faster when they know that the car is already stranded or has a problem on its own. Try calling them first before anything else so that it would give enough time for car service, car help, car assistance, car towing, and diesel repair.
· Stay calm
Most importantly, do not get out of your car or try to change anything on your vehicle unless you are told it is safe by an official person on the scene. If there are any passengers in the car with you, have them call their loved ones so they know what is going on. If no one else will be coming to pick up the stranded driver, ask someone nearby such as a police officer if they can drive you home instead of waiting for public transportation. Have someone come pick up the stranded driver from the roadside after calling authorities and getting permission first.
8- Hang something white on your driver side window
You can also hang something white on your driver-side window because car-stranded drivers are more visible than car stranding ones. This means that car-stranded drivers are more likely to be seen by car passing motorists. On the other hand, if you see someone who is stranded on the side of the road or highway, then it is in your best interest to immediately call for emergency assistance such as calling 911.
The bottom line is that being prepared for an emergency will help you be calmer. If you are ready, there won’t be any need to panic and your car will most likely not sustain as much damage if it does break down. To reduce the likelihood of breaking down in a dangerous or difficult location, avoid areas with high traffic like highways and freeways. And lastly, always carry jumper cables and flares! All these are geared towards ensuring that you will be able to overcome being stranded on the road.
