4 Safety Tips for Roadside Emergencies

4 Safety Tips for Roadside Emergencies
  • Opening Intro -

    Your son or daughter is many states and at least one time zone away from you, attending school at the college of their dreams.

    You have lent the family car to your adult child or, if he has been particularly industrious, is driving the car he or she saved for.

-------------------------------------

With the semester about to end, your student will soon be journeying home for extended break away from school.

Whether your adult child commutes to school or must drive many miles spanning several states, safety is something that should be foremost on everyone’s mind during this journey. Few people consider the impact of a breakdown, a potentially dangerous and life threatening event. Let’s take a look at what steps every driver should take when faced with a roadside emergency:

1. Act quickly and carefully — If a tire blows or smoke suddenly flows from underneath your hood, then pulling over to the side of the road is your priority. Attempt to signal your intentions and firmly maintain control of the vehicle. Do not slam on your brakes nor take any other action that could cause others to hit you.

2. Move to the side — Once you get your car off of the road, move it as closely to the side of the breakdown lane as possible, away from traffic. Deadly accidents have happened when another car slams into a broken down vehicle, injuring or killing the occupants. Once your car is parked and the engine turned off, grab your purse and nearest belongings, get out of the car and move away from the vehicle. Leave your emergency lights on and lift the hood to signal distress.

3. Call for help — If you’re fortunate, help will come from a Good Samaritan motorist or police officer on patrol. Use your cell phone to call for help — 9-1-1 or a designated emergency call number can connect you. Be prepared to give as much information as you can to identify your location such as a mile marker or landmark. The cell phone operator may be able to pick your signal up off of a nearby tower.

4. When to stay inside — If your car breaks down when the weather is bad or at night, then you’ll want to stay with your vehicle. Place a “send help” sign in a window and keep your doors locked. If someone stops by to help, ask for this person to call the police or explain that the police are on the way. Avoid getting in a stranger’s car and, if you must walk, face traffic and keep as far away from the road as you can.

If you’re able to handle the breakdown yourself, then begin the work as soon as you can. Work in a well lit area that is highly visible to people driving by. If an unmarked police car stops by, ask the officer for identification.

Adv. — Check out CarSurfer.com, the web’s newest site for all things automotive. Shop for a car, arrange a loan or read a review.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

end of post idea

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helpful article? Leave us a quick comment below.
And please share this article within your social networks.

facebook linkedin pinterest

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: SayCampusLife.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The commission earnings are used to defray our cost of operation.

View our FTC Disclosure for other affiliate information.

Categories: Personal Advice