Breakdown guide
What to Do When Your Car Breaks Down on the Road
When your car breaks down, safety comes before the repair. Turn on the hazard lights, get the car out of traffic if you safely can, and get everyone to a safe place away from moving cars. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911. Once everyone is safe, call or text for repair help.
- Roadside breakdown calls are taken
- Call or text (801) 386-6984
- Emergency and after-hours calls taken
First, get everyone safe
Turn on the hazard lights.
Do it as soon as the car starts to fail, so other drivers see it.
Steer to the safest place you can reach.
A parking lot, a side street or the right shoulder is better than a traffic lane. On a freeway, take the next exit if the car still moves. Slow down without braking hard or swerving. If the brakes fail, shift to a lower gear and pull the parking brake up slowly.
Turn the engine off and set the parking brake.
If there is smoke, fire or a fuel smell, get out and move away first. Do not open the hood if you see smoke or flames.
Get everyone to a safe place.
Away from moving traffic. Where the car stopped decides whether that means staying in it or getting out.
When to call 911
- Anyone is hurt. Call before anything else.
- There is smoke, fire or pooling fuel. Move everyone well away from the car.
- The car is blocking traffic or sits somewhere dangerous. Let the dispatcher tell you whether to stay in the car or get out.
- You feel unsafe for any reason. That is enough.
Stay in the car or get out?
It depends on where the car stopped. In a parking lot or a quiet street, getting out and standing well clear of the car is fine. On an interstate or another busy road, standing outside is more dangerous than staying in the car with your seatbelt on, unless you can reach a clearly safer place. If you must get out, use the door away from traffic, move well away from the car and wait behind a guardrail if there is one.
What not to do
- Do not work on the car next to moving traffic. No repair is worth standing beside a lane.
- Do not open the radiator cap on a hot engine. Hot coolant is under pressure and can burn you.
- Do not keep driving on a failing car. Brakes that will not slow the car, steering that will not hold its line and an overheating engine all mean stop.
What to have ready when you call
- Where the car is. The road and the nearest cross street or landmark.
- The year, make and model. It is on the registration.
- What the car did. A noise, a warning light, smoke, a stall or a smell.
- Whether it is somewhere safe. Say if anyone is hurt or the car is in a lane.
Can a mobile mechanic help?
Roadside breakdown calls are taken. Whether the repair can be done where the car stopped depends on the problem and the spot, so say where the car is and what it did when you call or text.
Questions
Questions about breakdowns
What should I do first when my car breaks down?
Turn on the hazard lights, steer to the safest place you can reach, turn the engine off and get everyone to a safe place away from moving traffic. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911 before anything else.
Can a mobile mechanic help if my car breaks down?
Roadside breakdown calls are taken. Whether the repair can be done where the car stopped depends on the problem and the spot. Call or text (801) 386-6984 and say where the car is stopped and what it did.
What if my car stops on the freeway?
Turn on the hazard lights and steer onto the right shoulder, or take the next exit if the car still moves. Stay in the car with your seatbelt on unless you can reach a clearly safer place. If you must get out, use the door away from traffic and stand well away from the car. Call 911 if you feel unsafe.
Should I try to restart an overheated car?
No. Turn the engine off and give it a long time to cool. Do not open the radiator cap while it is hot, because the coolant is under pressure and can burn you. Restarting an overheated engine can ruin it.
Will I need a tow?
Not always. Whether a repair can be done where the car stopped depends on the problem and the spot. If the car is somewhere dangerous, follow 911 directions first. Otherwise, call or text and say where the car is and what it did.
Call or text from a safe place
Say where the car is stopped and what it did.