Roadside breakdown safety: what to do when your car breaks down
How to get out of traffic, stay visible, call for help and handle a flat
Picture a driver at dusk on a busy highway when a warning light comes on, the car shudders and power fades as traffic streams past at 70 mph.
What happens in the next minute matters more than what broke, because the real danger comes from where the car stops and where people stand.
A 2021 national study, cited in an AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report, looked at deaths around disabled vehicles from 2014 to 2018 [3]. An average of 294 people a year were killed on foot while working on, entering, leaving or tending to those vehicles [3].
This guide walks you through a breakdown the way traffic incident management (TIM) responders approach a roadside scene.
Why the shoulder is riskier than it looks
FHWA’s incident management program cites more than 6 million reportable crashes a year and over 32 million disabled vehicles, a number drawn from AAA roadside rescues [2]. That’s roughly 5 breakdowns per crash, though the counts are measured differently (our calculation).
In 2024, about 33,000 crashes happened along the shoulder of a road. Of those, 578 were deadly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [1].
Even trained responders get hit: in 2024, 46 emergency responders, including 12 tow truck operators, were struck and killed while working roadway incidents [4]. In an AAA Foundation study of roadside assistance workers killed from 2015 to 2021, 85% died on high speed, limited access highways [3]. Nearly two thirds died in darkness. In more than half of the crashes, the striking driver had left the roadway [3].
The lesson: distance from moving traffic protects you, not the white edge line. At 70 mph, a drifting car covers about 100 feet every second (our calculation).
Spot trouble early and choose where to stop
The safest breakdowns are the ones you manage while the car still moves, so watch for these warning signs:
- Tire pressure light: NHTSA says it means at least one tire is significantly underinflated [5].
- New noises or handling: a thump, a wobble, grinding brakes or a pull to one side.
- Gauges and warning lights: a rising temperature gauge or an unfamiliar light.
- Smoke, a burning smell or a fuel odor: stop as soon as you safely can and get everyone out.
When something feels wrong, head for a safer place while you still have power, choosing in this order:
- An exit ramp, then a parking lot, gas station or quiet side street.
- A rest area, emergency pull off or extra wide paved shoulder.
- The right shoulder, as far right as you can get.
- The left shoulder, only if you can’t get right and your whole car fits beyond the edge line.
Keep rolling on a flat if you have to
Pennsylvania’s driver manual says you can ride on a flat tire as long as you need to reach a safe place to stop [6]. Drive slowly with hazards on. The tire is probably ruined. The wheel may also be damaged.
If a tire blows out, NHTSA advises gripping the wheel with both hands and easing off the gas gradually [5]. Steer to stabilize the car, then slow down and pull off [5]. Pennsylvania warns that braking immediately after a blowout can make the car skid [6].
The breakdown protocol, step by step
Responders work every scene in the same order: protect people first, then deal with the vehicle.
- Signal and get off the road. Use your turn signal, then your hazard lights. Pull as far from traffic as the space allows [7].
- Lock the car in place. Shift into park, set the parking brake and turn the front wheels toward the road edge. With no curb, California’s hill parking rule is to turn them right so the car would roll away from the road’s center [8].
- Keep your hazard lights on, adding parking lights at night.
- Decide whether to stay in or get out, using the guide below, before anyone opens a door.
- Call for help and give an exact location.
- Warn traffic only if you can do it safely, because walking along a live shoulder is risky.
- Wait in the safest spot, facing traffic, with children and pets under control.
- Let responders take charge. Police, patrols and tow crews often park behind you as a shield. Follow their directions, and never walk between their vehicle and yours.
Stay in the car or get out?
The answer depends on where you stopped. Oregon’s manual says it’s better to stay in or near your vehicle on the side away from traffic. It calls walking along a freeway dangerous [7].
Make yourself visible
Hazard lights are your first warning device. They can also matter legally. The broadest move over laws often protect a disabled car only when its hazards are on, the AAA Foundation found [4].
A federal rule for commercial trucks and buses, 49 CFR 392.22, offers a useful model [9]. Drivers must turn on hazard flashers right away and set out 3 warning triangles within 10 minutes. On a divided highway, all 3 go behind the vehicle, at about 10, 100 and 200 feet. Near a curve or hilltop, one goes 100 to 500 feet back so drivers see it in time [9].
Passenger car rules come from states. Oregon, for example, tells drivers to place warnings at least 200 feet away in each direction if a stopped vehicle isn’t visible from 200 feet [7].
For car drivers, the practical rule is to set out triangles only if you can walk well off the pavement or behind a barrier, facing traffic. The truck rule treats 40 paces as about 100 feet, so 200 feet is about 80 paces (our calculation). On a busy freeway with a thin shoulder, skip them. Never light a flare near leaking fuel, which the truck rule prohibits [9].
Calling for help and sharing your location
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Your situation | Who to call first |
|---|---|
| Stopped in a travel lane, anyone hurt, smoke or fire, or you feel unsafe | 911 |
| Off the road on a highway, no injuries | Follow your state’s guidance: some say 911, others post a help number |
| Safely off the road in a lot or side street | Your roadside assistance plan, insurer or a tow company |
Washington’s Department of Transportation tells drivers to dial 911 for roadway help, such as a flat tire or an empty tank [15]. Florida’s free Road Rangers change tires, jump start batteries, supply emergency fuel and take requests at *347 [11].
The 911 call taker will ask for your location [10]. Note the road and direction, the nearest mile marker or exit, the last exit you passed and which shoulder you’re on.
911.gov advises calling if you can and texting if you can’t. Where text to 911 isn’t offered, you’ll get an immediate bounce back message [10]. A phone without active service can still reach 911. But it won’t share your location. The center also can’t call back [10].
Flat tires: change it yourself or call for help?
Change a tire yourself only if you’re well away from traffic on level, firm ground, with a working jack, lug wrench and inflated spare. Beside highway traffic, the tire change is often the riskiest part of a breakdown, so call for help.
If conditions are right, follow your owner’s manual. Pennsylvania’s manual describes the basic sequence [6]:
- Set the parking brake and block a wheel with a wedge or chock.
- Loosen the lug nuts slightly while the tire is still on the ground.
- Jack only at the point your manual shows. Never put any part of your body under the car.
- Swap wheels, lower the car, fully tighten the nuts and stow everything securely.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Spare type | What to know |
|---|---|
| Full size spare | NHTSA says not to use it to replace a worn tire, except in emergencies like a flat [5]. |
| Compact temporary spare | Meant for short, slow trips to a repair shop. Read the speed and distance limits on the sidewall and in your manual. |
| Inflator or sealant kit | Can temporarily fix small punctures but not sidewall damage or blowouts, and kits expire in 4 to 8 years, AAA says [12]. |
AAA found that 28% of 2017 model year vehicles came without a spare tire [12]. Know what your car carries. Check every tire’s pressure, spare included, at least monthly, as NHTSA recommends [5].
Minor crash? Move it, then sort it out
A fender bender in a travel lane can trigger a second, worse crash. California’s handbook says that if no one is hurt, move your vehicle out of traffic, then call 911 [8].
FHWA’s term for these quick clearance rules is driver removal laws. In its 2008 national review, about half the states required drivers in minor crashes to leave the lanes when their cars could be driven safely [13]. Some states add that moving your car doesn’t make you liable or at fault [13]. FHWA also cited estimates that 14% to 18% of incidents are secondary, triggered by an earlier one [13].
Once clear, exchange license, registration, insurance and address details away from traffic [8]. If anyone is hurt, a car won’t drive or fuel is leaking, leave the cars and call 911. Our guide to work zones and move over safety covers what passing drivers owe you.
Build a roadside emergency kit
Special situations
At night: Because most roadside worker deaths in the AAA Foundation study happened after dark, wear the vest and carry a flashlight if you step out [3].
Rain, snow and ice: Slick roads give drifting drivers less room to recover. If stranded in snow, NHTSA advises staying with your vehicle, tying a bright marker to the antenna or window and keeping the dome light on [14]. Keep the exhaust pipe clear and run the engine only long enough to stay warm, to avoid carbon monoxide [14].
Rural roads and dead zones: Share your route before remote trips. Try 911 even with a weak signal, and text if a call won’t connect [10]. With no signal, staying with your car usually beats walking.
Electric and hybrid vehicles: Read your owner’s manual on breakdowns and towing now. Tell the tow company what you drive. With smoke or flames, get everyone out and away, then call 911.
Children and pets: Keep children buckled if you stay inside. If you get out, unload them on the side away from traffic, keep an adult between them and the road and leash pets first.
People with disabilities: Keep medicines, mobility aids and chargers within reach. If getting out is hard, staying buckled in is a sound choice. If you can’t speak or hear on a call, text 911 where available [10].
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay in my car if it breaks down on the highway?
Only if you can’t reach a protected spot. If you can exit away from traffic and get behind a guardrail or similar barrier, go there [7]. Otherwise, stay buckled in with hazards on.
How far behind my car should I put warning triangles?
Federal truck rules for divided highways use about 10, 100 and 200 feet [9]. Follow that guide only if you can walk well away from traffic.
Can I drive on a flat tire to get off the highway?
Yes, slowly and only as far as you need. Pennsylvania’s manual says you can ride on a flat to reach a safe spot [6]. A damaged wheel beats stopping in danger.
Is it OK to call 911 for a breakdown?
Yes, if you’re stuck in a lane, anyone is hurt or you feel unsafe. Some states, such as Washington, also direct drivers to 911 for roadway help like a flat tire [15].
Do move over laws protect stranded drivers?
In many states, yes: as of August 2025, 28 states extended move over protection to all stopped or disabled vehicles, often only with hazard lights on [4].
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Get your car as far from traffic as you can, even on a flat. Then choose the safer place: a protected spot well away from the road, or your seat with the belt on. Never stand between vehicles or behind your car.
Related articles
- Work zone and move over safety: protect road crews, responders and you
- Vehicle maintenance for safety: tires, brakes, lights and warning signs
- Merging and highway driving: how to enter, cruise and exit safely
- Rural road safety: why country roads are deadlier and how to drive them
- Driving in snow and ice: grip, black ice, skids and when to stay home
Sources and further reading
- 1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Move Over Safety (Traffic Safety Marketing campaign page). Materials dated July 2025; accessed October 2026. trafficsafetymarketing.gov/…/move-over
- 2Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Next-Generation Traffic Incident Management: Technologies for Saving Lives (Every Day Counts round 7). Updated May 22, 2026. fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_7/nextgen_tim.cfm
- 3AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Roadside Assistance Providers Fatally Struck by Vehicles at the Roadside: Incidence and Characteristics. January 2024. aaafoundation.org/research/roadside-assistance-providers…
- 4AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Slow Down, Move Over Laws. October 2025. aaafoundation.org/research/slow-down-move-over-laws
- 5National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tire Safety (TireWise). Accessed October 2026. nhtsa.gov/equipment/tires
- 6Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual: Special Circumstances and Emergencies. Accessed October 2026. pa.gov/…/special-circumstances-and-emergencies
- 7Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Driver Manual, Section 2 (Lane Travel: Freeway Driving) and Section 6 (Parking and Stopping). Accessed October 2026. oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/Online_Manual/Study-Section_2.aspx
- 8California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver’s Handbook, Section 6 (Navigating the Roads: Parking on a Hill; updated June 12, 2025) and Section 10 (Financial Responsibility, Insurance Requirements, and Collisions; updated September 21, 2026). dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/california-driver-handbook
- 9Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). 49 CFR 392.22: Emergency Signals; Stopped Commercial Motor Vehicles. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current as of September 30, 2026. ecfr.gov/…/section-392.22
- 10911.gov. Calling 911: Frequently Asked Questions. Updated March 8, 2023. 911.gov/calling-911/frequently-asked-questions
- 11Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Road Rangers. Accessed October 2026. fdot.gov/traffic/cvotim/tim/roadrangers
- 12AAA. Spare Me! AAA Finds Nearly One-Third of New Vehicles Are Missing a Spare Tire. October 18, 2017. newsroom.aaa.com/2017/10/…
- 13Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Traffic Incident Management Quick Clearance Laws: A National Review of Best Practices. FHWA-HOP-09-005. December 2008. ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09005
- 14National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Winter Weather Driving Tips. Accessed October 2026. nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips
- 15Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Incident Response Program. Last modified March 11, 2026. wsdot.wa.gov/…/incident-response-program
This article reflects the safety priorities of traffic incident management and roadside safety. It is general education, not legal or professional advice for any individual. Laws, data and vehicle features change, so verify details with official sources such as your state DMV and your owner’s manual. Reviewed October 2026.
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