If you are still moving
- Switch on your hazard lights straight away.
- Move to the right-hand shoulder, or into a side road or parking if you can reach one.
- Stop as far from traffic as possible and turn your wheels away from the road.
Once the car has stopped
- On a highway, get everyone out on the side away from traffic and stand behind the barrier. Do not stand between your car and the traffic.
- Place your warning triangle well behind the car if it is safe to walk there.
- In summer, keep water and shade in mind — waiting in a car with no air-conditioning is dangerous for children and older people.
Who to call
- Someone injured or the car is blocking a lane dangerously: call police on 999 or ambulance on 998.
- Accident with damage: the police report comes first — garages need it before they can repair the car.
- Breakdown, no injuries: call a recovery service.
What to tell the recovery truck
- Your live location, shared on WhatsApp
- Which direction you were driving (for example, towards Dubai)
- The car model and what happened
- Where you want the car taken
What not to do
- Do not try to fix the car on a highway shoulder with traffic passing.
- Do not accept hook towing for an automatic or 4x4 car.
- Do not let anyone start work until you have agreed a price.
Keep in your car
- A warning triangle and a reflective vest
- Water
- A phone charger
- A recovery number saved in your phone