1. Get yourself safe first
The moment you sense a problem, stay calm and focus on safety before anything else.
- Switch on your hazard lights immediately.
- Steer to the left — onto the hard shoulder, a layby, or as far off the road as you can.
- Turn your wheels away from traffic and switch off the engine.
2. Make yourself visible
- Put on a hi-vis jacket if you have one.
- Keep sidelights on in poor visibility or darkness.
- On a motorway, exit from the passenger side, away from traffic.
- Stand behind the safety barrier where possible — never attempt repairs on a live carriageway.
3. Assess what’s happened
Look for obvious signs — a flat tyre, warning lights, steam, or a failure to start. Sharing this with your recovery operator means they arrive with the right equipment.
If you can smell burning or see smoke, do not open the bonnet.
4. Call for recovery
Call a recovery service that gives clear pricing before dispatch and aims for a fast response. Tell them your location (a what3words or map pin helps), your vehicle, and what’s wrong.
Motorway breakdowns — extra care
- If you have no phone signal, use the orange roadside emergency telephones.
- Stay behind the barrier, away from traffic, while you wait.
- If you can’t reach the hard shoulder or verge safely, stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on and call 999.
- Never try to change a tyre on the motorway — wait for professionals.
- Keep pets secured inside the vehicle.
Do you actually need breakdown cover?
You don’t need an annual membership to get help. Pay-per-use recovery like Z&Z Auto Recovery means no yearly fee, no excess, and often a faster local response — you simply call when you need us.
