How to prepare for a roadside emergency

The first sixty seconds

Before anything involving a phone:

1. Get the vehicle as far off the carriageway as you can manage, and put the hazard lights on
2. On a motorway, get everyone out through the doors away from traffic and behind the barrier
3. Leave animals in the vehicle unless it is genuinely unsafe
4. Put on a high-visibility vest if you have one — before getting out, not after
5. Only then take out your phone

Warning triangle guidance varies by country and some prohibit its use on motorways. Follow the rules where you are, and never walk up a live carriageway to place one.

Telling someone exactly where you are

This is where most calls stall. "About twenty minutes past the last services, I think northbound" is not a location, and on an unfamiliar road it may be all you have.

• Marker posts on motorways are the most useful reference of all — they identify the road, direction and distance, and control rooms work in them directly
• Failing that, GPS coordinates from your phone are precise and unambiguous
• Read coordinates in degrees/minutes/seconds if speaking aloud — the numbers are shorter and harder to mishear
• Note the junction you last passed and the direction of travel

Being seen

At night or in poor weather, visibility is the whole problem. Hazard lights are the primary signal and should always be on.

Beyond that, anything that makes you and the vehicle more conspicuous helps: a high-visibility vest, an interior light left on, a torch. A phone screen flashing red and blue is a surprisingly effective marker when placed on the dashboard of a stationary vehicle — though it should never be used while driving or in a way that suggests you are an emergency vehicle.

What to keep in the car

• High-visibility vest — one per occupant, stored in the cabin rather than the boot
• A phone charging cable and, ideally, a power bank
• A torch that is not your phone
• A warning triangle, where local rules permit its use
• A basic first aid kit
• Warm layers and a blanket, particularly in winter
• Water
• A physical note of your breakdown provider’s number and policy number

The vests belong in the cabin. A vest in the boot requires you to walk to the back of the vehicle, on the traffic side, to reach it.

Before it happens

1. Save your breakdown provider as a contact so you are not searching for it at the roadside
2. Check whether your insurance includes recovery — many people pay twice without realising
3. Keep the fuel above a quarter tank in winter; running out is a self-inflicted breakdown
4. Check tyre pressures and tread monthly
5. Know where your spare or tyre sealant is, and whether you actually have one