1. Get to a safe place
If you can, move the car off the road or onto the hard shoulder, a verge or an emergency area. Switch on your hazard lights. If it's dark or visibility is poor, keep your sidelights on too.
On a motorway or fast road, leave the car by the left-hand door and get behind a safety barrier if there is one. Keep well away from moving traffic and don't stand between your car and the road. Don't try to repair the car yourself on a motorway.
2. Call 999 if you're in danger
If you feel you or anyone else is in danger, or the car has stopped in a live lane and you can't get out safely, call 999 immediately. Keep your seatbelt on and hazard lights on if you can't leave the vehicle safely. On a motorway, you can also use an emergency phone to contact the traffic officers.
3. Keep yourself visible and warm
Wear bright or reflective clothing if you have it. Don't use a warning triangle on a motorway, as it isn't safe to walk back along the hard shoulder. On other roads, only place one if it's safe to do so. In cold or wet weather, keep warm and dry while you wait away from traffic.
4. Work out what's wrong
Only once you're safe, note any warning lights, noises or smells, and whether the car will start. This helps a recovery driver bring the right vehicle. Note your exact location using road signs, marker posts, junction numbers or the location on your phone.
5. Book ASAP Recovery
You can book ASAP Recovery 24/7. Enter where the car is, where it needs to go and what's wrong. Your job goes to recovery drivers available around the clock near you, and you can see when one accepts and follow them on the map.
Include clear details so the right vehicle comes:
- The make, model and size of the vehicle
- Whether it rolls, steers and brakes
- Whether you have the keys
- Exactly where the car is and which way it's facing
6. While you wait
Stay somewhere safe, away from traffic. Keep your phone charged and nearby so the driver can contact you. If your situation changes and you feel unsafe, call 999.
7. When the recovery driver arrives
Check the driver and vehicle match the details in the app. Tell them anything you've noticed about the fault. The driver will load the car and take it to the address you chose, such as your home or a garage, and you'll get photo proof at drop-off.
If the car isn't urgent
If the car is already safe, for example on a driveway, you don't need an ASAP job. You can schedule a recovery for later, post a Bid Job to receive quotes, or set your own price with a Fixed Price Job.
Breaking down on a smart motorway
If there's no hard shoulder, try to reach an emergency area, marked with orange surfacing and an SOS sign, or leave at the next junction. If you can't, move as far left as possible, switch on hazard lights and call 999 if you feel in danger. Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on if it isn't safe to get out.
After a collision
If you've been in a collision, check everyone is safe and call 999 if anyone is injured or the road is blocked. Exchange details with other drivers involved. Once the police or emergency services have done what they need to and it's safe, you can arrange recovery of your vehicle.
Be prepared before you travel
A little preparation can help if you do break down. Keep your phone charged, and carry a warm layer, water and a torch in the car. A reflective jacket is useful on any journey. Check tyres, oil, coolant and lights regularly, and plan longer trips so you know where services and junctions are.
In summary
Safety comes first: get to a safe place, switch on your hazard lights and call 999 if anyone is in danger. Once you're safe, book ASAP Recovery with clear details, wait somewhere away from traffic and follow your recovery driver live.