Van Driver Toolkit – Motorway Breakdowns

Did you know?

  • More than four million journeys are made on the strategic road network each day. On average, Highways England record around 196,000 breakdowns per year (536 each day).
  • The most common breakdowns are related to tyres, overheating, electrical problems and running out of fuel.
If your vehicle develops a problem or if you break down on the motorway:
  1. Put your LEFT indicators on.
  2. Move into the LEFT lane.
  3. Exit LEFT at the next junction/services, or
  4. Exit left into an emergency area or hardshoulder.
  5. Put your hazard lights on.
  6. Get behind a safety barrier and keep well away from moving traffic.
  7. Call Highways England on 0300 123 5000 then a breakdown provider for help.
If you cannot do the above, or in an emergency, stay in your vehicle, keep seat belts and hazard lights on. Call 999 immediately. More Info Emergency SOS phones are usually situated at one-mile intervals along the hard shoulder of a motorway. Emergency areas are designed to offer places to stop in an emergency or breakdown for vehicles on roads without hard shoulders. Do not exit an emergency area without speaking to Highways England first. They will close the lane to help you re-join the motorway safely. For more advice visit: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/road-safety/breakdowns/ Breakdown prevention: Most breakdowns are avoidable and simple vehicle checks can help you have a safer journey.
  • Tyre tread – check the legal minimum tread depth for your vehicle as it can affect your grip, braking distance and steering
  • Tyre pressure – check your tyre pressure as under-inflated or over-inflated tyres can affect your braking distance, steering, fuel efficiency and the lifetime of your tyres
  • Lights – check lights are working as they are not only essential for you, they are also essential for other drivers to understand how you intend to manoeuvre
  • Fuel – check you have sufficient fuel for your journey
  • Oil – maintaining the correct oil level is essential as the oil lubricates, cleans, cools and protects the moving parts of your engine, preventing your engine from seizing up and breaking down
  • Screen wash – to ensure you have good visibility, always keep your screen wash topped up so you can clear any debris off your windscreen.

Provider: Driving for Better Business, National Highways
Resource Type: Web link

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