When one of the worst things that can happen to you while you are driving is to have a flat tire or your car break down completely due to clutch failure. This can be very overwhelming, but preparing yourself for this type of situation is key. While we never want this to happen to us, having the proper tools and knowledge can make this very unfortunate circumstance easier to deal with. Below are some tips that will make a roadside emergency easier to navigate and handle.
- Quickly and Safely Get Off the Road: When you notice that something is wrong with your car, you will want to get off the road right away. You can pull off the side of the road, rest stop, shoulder, or parking lot that is closet to you.
- Turn On Your Hazard Lights: You will want to let other people know that you are having vehicle trouble, so the next step that you will want to take is to turn on your hazards. In addition to turning the hazard lights on, you can also pop the hood of your car.
- Exit Your Car Safely: It is actually recommended to not exit the vehicle until emergency roadside assistance or police come to your aid, but many people want to assess what type of damage has been done to the car. If you are wanting to know what the issue is, open your car through the passenger side and exit through there; never exit on the driver side as there is a lot of traffic coming from that side.
- Call Emergency Roadside Assistance: If you have roadside assistance, call them at once in order to help you. If you don’t then you can call the police or someone close by to your location in order to help you.
- Be Ready By Having Emergency Supplies: If you are ever in a situation where your car breaks down, you will need to have emergency supplies. Sometimes your car will break down in the middle of nowhere and you will need supplies to either get your car working or to keep you safe until help arrives.
If you don’t have emergency roadside assistance and need help, you can always call high patrol. A lot of people ask, “How do I call a highway patrol from my cell phone?” In the state of Missouri, instead of calling 911, you will want to call *55 (star 55) or 800-525-5555 when you need to get ahold of highway patrol. Each state is going to have their own phone numbers besides 911 when you are getting ahold of someone for non-emergency purposes.
Emergency Roadside Safety Kit
One of the things you need to do in case of a roadside emergency is to have an emergency roadside kit. This is a good practice, as you never know what time of day or area you will be in if your car chooses to break down. While this is a great thing to have in your car, what should be in a roadside emergency kit? There are quite a lot of things you can add to your emergency roadside kit; the most important thing you need to do is to have the kit make sense for the type of weather that is outside, have multiple emergency kits, and add things that are going to make sense for your specific needs. Here are some things that you can add to your emergency roadside kit.
- First aid kit
- Bottled water
- Nonperishable food
- Reflective Vest
- cell phone charger
- Rain jacket
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Jumper cables
- Spare tire
- Flares or triangle reflectors
- Ice scraper
- Paper, pen, or pencil
- Multipurpose tool
- Blankets
- Fire extinguisher
- Duct tape
- Tire pressure gauge
- A tire inflator or can of tire inflator
- Toolkit
- Motor oil
- Coolant
- Paper towels
- Washer fluid
- Cat litter for icy roads
All of these things will ensure that your car is safe and that you are also safe until someone is able to help you. It can be scary having your car break down, but being prepared is the best approach to making the situation more bearable.
Who Do You Call for Roadside Assistance?
A lot of people who don’t have emergency roadside assistance want to know if is roadside assistance reliable. The answer is yes, it is very reliable, as it the people who come out to help you can either tow your car, change your flat tire, change your dead battery, or provide you with other assistance to get your car working again.
Another thing that is most commonly asked for people who wonder about roadside assistance is, “Is roadside assistance free?” They aren’t free but car owners are able to get roadside assistance for free through cell phone companies, car manufacturers, car insurance provides, credit card companies, and auto clubs. Since there are a couple of options for car owners to choose from, another thing that is asked is, “What roadside assistance is best?” You will have to consider a couple of things when choosing roadside assistance: Does it cover the car owner or the car, is the car owner covered while driving other cars, how many times can you get your car towed a year, how many miles can you have your car towed, and what kind of fees do you have to pay.
The last thing that people ask about roadside assistance is, “Is roadside assistance considered a claim?” and it’s going to depend on why your car is being towed. If you’re in a no parking zone, it might affect your insurance premium but if your car breaks down it would be a claim but not enough to raise your premium. If you are needing roadside assistance in Festus, MO and don’t know where to turn, dial (636) 937-0797 to get help from the experts at Pippin Towing & Recovery.