It’s never a great time for your car to break down, but unfortunately, life happens, and these things are out of our control.
In South Africa, it is not ideal to get stuck on the side of the road due to our high crime and murder rate. When your car breaks down, it leaves you with a lot of stress and not knowing what to do if you are in this situation. Let’s look at some useful tips and advice if you, unfortunately, were to be in this kind of predicament..
Tips on what to do if your car breaks down1
- Do not panic; stay as calm as possible in this situation.
- When it’s safe to do so, pull off to the side of the road, as far as possible to the left shoulder.
- Make yourself more visible to other motorists by turning on your hazard lights.
- Get out of your car safely if you are unable to pull your vehicle off the road carefully. In South Africa, it would be ideal to rather wait in your car with the doors locked.
- Contact a professional roadside assistance company. In some cases, insurance companies have a towing or roadside assistance available to their clients. If your car is still under warranty or maintenance plan, there might be roadside assistance available on it.
- Always make sure to be aware of your surroundings when it comes to directing the roadside assistance company. You want them to get to you as soon as possible and not get lost trying to find you. You are at your most vulnerable during this time.
- Try and repair your car if you are skilled enough in this situation. If you are not sure, wait for help to come.
- Rather wait for a professional towing company/roadside assistance to help you. Try not to seek help from other motorists as their intentions might not be good. Rather be safe than sorry.
- Always be aware of what is going on around you, by leaving your car’s bonnet open, for instance, will block your vision in seeing who is approaching your vehicle.
- Only seek help from uniformed police officers, metro police or other emergency service providers.
- Please remain vigilant at all times for your safety.
How can I prevent my car from breaking down?1
- A well-maintained car will help prevent it from breaking down. Make sure that your vehicle is serviced at least once a year.
- Do a once a week check up on your tyre tread and pressure.
- Maintain your car’s water and oil level. Check them at least once a week. The quicker you diagnose a problem the better.
- Maintain your cars brake pads and brake discs.
- If your car is making a funny noise, stop at a safe place and check if you can find the problem. If not, contact a professional roadside assistance company to tow the car to your nearest garage or mechanic.
- Always make sure you have efficient fuel to reach your destination. Rather have too much fuel than too little.
- Try and avoid any objects that are lying in the road or that can obstruct your car from moving as this can cause your car much damage.
- Make sure someone always knows your whereabouts, even if you are going 1km from your house.
- Make sure that your phone is always sufficiently charged as well.
Maintain your car to the best of your ability. Be vigilant while you drive and always be aware of where you are at any given time. Also, make sure to have your car insured.
Car insurance coverage could provide additional peace of mind. Maybe consider getting car insurance? Affordable car insurance is available with PMD.
Source:
1 https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/12-things-to-do-if-your-car-breaks-down-20150109
Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
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