Don’t get stranded on the motorway

Driver Guides 

So, you’ve sorted out the lease for your next car. You may even have followed the eminently sensible path of opting for a maintained lease so you don’t have to worry about servicing your new car. Unfortunately, none of that releases you from the day-to-day obligations of keeping your car in a roadworthy condition and ensuring you don’t become another statistic stranded in the most dangerous place you could possibly suffer a breakdown: the motorway.

Leasing your car may be a simple and convenient approach to motoring, and a maintained lease obviously makes life even simpler when it comes to routine servicing and repairs. But ensuring your car is suitably maintained goes beyond an annual oil change.

Once again – because it’s the reason for its very existence as well as an unfortunate necessity - road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is urging motorists to carry out essential checks before joining the UK’s motorway network.

GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said:

“Figures show there are more than 500 breakdowns every day on motorways in England alone, most of which could be prevented through regular maintenance and simple pre-journey checks.”

Breaking down on the motorway can be frightening and dangerous, not only for you and your passengers, but also the professional crews who are called upon to rescue you from the hard shoulder come rain or shine. That’s why breakdown organisations like GEM will always advise you to try and make it to the next service area or junction if you possibly can.

And annoyingly for those who are forced to come to your aid, the main causes of motorway breakdowns can be easily avoided with a few simple checks that should really be second nature to every driver. Those causes are quite often the result of a lack of care and attention, with the most cited issues arising from things like batteries, tyres, and fuel levels.

Regular checks of your tyres, fuel, and battery charge levels can significantly reduce the likelihood of an avoidable and potentially dangerous motorway breakdown. And as we said earlier, not even a maintained lease can protect you from the risks of a worn tyre that you haven’t spotted or an empty fuel tank.

GEM’s advice for avoiding motorways breakdowns is simple.

Before you even think about pulling out on the motorway you should be checking the condition of your car on a regular basis. Ensure your tyres are in good condition and inflated to the correct pressure, that your battery is charging properly and has enough power to keep your car running, and that you have plenty of fuel in your tank – or for EV drivers, that your battery is topped up to reasonable level.

You should also be checking things like the level of your washer bottle as, while it may not directly lead to a breakdown, being unable to clear your windscreen when you’re doing 70mph on the motorway isn’t particularly conducive to a safe journey. It’s also the law to have your washer bottle properly filled.

GEM is also encouraging every driver to familiarise themselves with the latest motorway breakdown safety advice, so that if you do break down and need to stop on the motorway, you will know what to do to help reduce the risk to yourself and your passengers. GEM’s tips support the road safety advice issued by National Highways.

With that in mind, and as a little refresher because it’s easy to forget this stuff in an emergency…

• If your car is malfunctioning, aim to leave the motorway at the next junction or services. If this isn’t possible, move left into the hard shoulder or the nearest emergency area.
  
  
• Put your hazard lights on.
  
  
• If you can, get out of the vehicle via the passenger door. Move onto the other side of any safety barrier. Stand beyond the barrier or verge, in a position behind the vehicle.
  
  
• Don’t attempt any repairs to your vehicle, and don’t put out a warning triangle.
  
  
• Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 to alert the authorities to your situation BEFORE calling a breakdown provider for assistance.
  
  
• If you cannot do the above, or in case of an absolute emergency, remain in your vehicle, keep your seatbelt on and hazard lights illuminated, and call 999 for assistance immediately.
  
  

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