• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

If Your Vehicle Breaks Down

If your vehicle breaks down along a busy road or highway, your greatest danger is getting hit by a passing vehicle. The problem is worsened by the elimination of roadside shoulders, which were designed as a place for disabled vehicles to stop but, in many places, are now being replaced with additional driving lanes. The following steps can minimize the danger if your car breaks down on the highway:

• Pull off the road as far as possible.

• Turn on your hazard lights and the interior dome light.

• Put a white handkerchief or cloth on the antenna, and raise your hood.

• Don’t stand next to or behind your car, and don’t walk along the highway. If you can, wait on the other side of the guardrail, well away from the highway. Or wait for help inside your vehicle with the doors locked. If you have a flare, place it behind your stalled car.

• If you have a cell phone, call your auto club, a towing service, or the police.

• If someone offers help, don’t get in his or her car. Ask the person to call the police.

Driving in Bad Weather

To lower the chances of having your car break down during bad weather, winterize your vehicle according to the suggested maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual before winter begins. Regularly check your windshield wipers, lights, and fluid levels (including your windshield-washer solvent). Put snow tires on your car, if needed. Make sure the vehicle’s brakes and transmission are functioning properly. Lubricate the door locks and trunk lock to prevent them from freezing.

Prepare an emergency survival kit containing the following items, and keep it in the backseat or trunk of your car:

• Windshield scraper and brush, and snow shovel (in case of snow showers)

• Booster cables

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• Blankets or sleeping bags

• High-calorie, nonperishable food (such as dried fruit)

• First-aid kit

• Knife

• Extra clothing (in case yours gets wet)

• Small metal container and waterproof matches to melt snow for drinking water

• Bag of sand or cat litter for tire traction

• Tool kit

• Tow rope

• Compass and road maps

If a severe storm is forecast, ask yourself if the driving trip is really necessary. If you must drive a long distance and your trip cannot be delayed, listen to weather forecasts (both before you leave and on your car radio as you drive) to find out about current road conditions, or call your state’s weather hot line for current information.

Use these guidelines to increase your chances of reaching your destination safely:

• Tell your family or a neighbor where you are going, the route you plan to take, and when you expect to arrive. When you get to your destination, call the person and tell him or her that you have arrived safely.

• Fill your gas tank before you leave to prevent ice from blocking the fuel lines, which could keep the car from starting.

• Ask someone to go along so you don’t have to drive alone.

• Clear your windows of snow and ice. Don’t start out until your windshield is defrosted.

• Be ready to turn back if weather conditions become threatening.

• In fog, drive with your headlights set on dim, or use fog lights. (Bright lights reflect off the fog, which can decrease visibility.) If the fog gets too dense, pull off the road and wait for the fog to lift. Don’t drive at very slow speeds in fog because you can get rear-ended.

• In snow or icy conditions, slow down and keep more distance than usual between your vehicle and the one in front of you.

• Watch for slick spots on bridges and overpasses and in shaded spots.

• If the pavement is slick, start slowly from a stop and brake gently and early. If you have antilock brakes, do not pump your brakes. If your car begins to slide, keep your foot off the gas pedal and brake. Steer into the direction of the skid until you feel the tires’ traction; then straighten out the vehicle.

• If a snowplow is coming toward you, stay to the right to allow room