Knowing what to do in the event of a breakdown can save lives and make the situation a lot safer.  Follow these tips to help ensure the safety of all those involved.

1)     Move the vehicle out of the flow of traffic.  Try to move it to the right-hand side of the road if possible.  However, sometimes this is not an option.

2)     Demonstrate to other drivers that you are having problems.  You can open the hood of your vehicle and/or turn on your emergency flashers.  You can also use a roadside emergency flashlight.

3)     Remain in your vehicle, especially if the conditions are dangerous.  When it is dark or there is bad weather it can complicate the situation.  If you need to exit the vehicle for any reason, do it from the side that is not facing traffic.

4)     Call the police and/or a roadside assistance company like AAA. Make sure that someone will be able to come and either fix the problem, tow the car away, or make arrangements to have the car taken to a repair shop.

5)     Do not go on the road and stay away from moving traffic.  It can be tempting to try and flag down cars for help, but this is dangerous and could result in potential injuries.

6)     Do not try to repair the vehicle while it is in an area exposed to other traffic.  This can make conditions difficult to try and repair the vehicle and potentially make things worse.

If you follow these tips during your next breakdown, everything should go a lot more smoothly.