What To Do If Your Car Suddenly Stops On The Road: Step-By -Step Instructions
It can happen anytime, you are driving happily and suddenly, there is a loss of power and the car shuts down. It can happen on empty roads, busy city roads or fast highways. What should you do to keep yourself safe first, and then, protect your car? Here is what to do.
Power loss while driving: What to do? Immediate action checklist
First off, we'll list out the most important and immediate actions that you need to take in case of power loss.
Stay calm and keep your hands on the steering wheel
When you lose power, the car might still be rolling. If that is the case, try to shift to neutral (if car is manual) and use the momentum to move to the left side of the road. This might be possible even if you are in an automatic. But do not swerve, check the mirrors first to make sure no one is approaching fast on your left as are moving to the left lane.
One of the biggest problems faced when tackling a power loss is losing control of the steering wheel. The first thing to do in such a scenario is to keep both hands on the steering wheel, then breathe calmly, check mirrors and scan the surroundings, after which gently start applying the brake so that they do not lock the wheels.
Signal, turn on indicators and move to the left
If you are on a medium-traffic highway where there are high-speed vehicles coming from behind, then you have to ensure that your vehicle comes to the left side and gets out of the way of the flow of traffic. Use hazard lights and then look for a service lane or side road or lay-by. Coast smoothly while checking for traffic and then park the vehicle on the side.
If the car stops in the middle of the road
This is a highly dangerous situation. Other drivers may not realise your car is stationary.
Turn on your hazard lights immediately. Your first priority now is to exit the car and move to the left side of the road. If that is not possible move to the median.
Before getting out of your car to do this, check the mirrors quickly. Step out as soon as possible, but do it only when it is safe to do so. Anyone can crash into the car any moment - and your life is more important than the car.
Let's say your car has died instantly and is unable to move. Turn on the hazard lights. If it is dark or raining, then turn on the parking lights and interior lights for visibility. and then move to the side.
Standing next to the car is highly dangerous on a fast road. If the road is empty, you can go back and place the warning safety triangles on the road.
If there are vehicles on all sides moving fast, stay inside with all the lights on. Exit the vehicle when safe, and step into the wide median or left side of the road quickly.
See if there are people around to help
We are in India, and there could be many people around often. Enlist their help to warn other approaching vehicles that your car is stationary, and they can often help push your car to a side too. However, do all this safely making sure that approaching vehicles can clearly see you and your new friends.
Try to restart - only if it is safe to do so
A lot of times stalling of a vehicle is temporary and can be fixed with a simple restart. However, before restarting your vehicle, you have to ensure that it's safe to do so. If you want to restart, then first stop fully and then apply the handbrake, after which turn off AC, radio, lights and reduce electrical load.
Then turn off the ignition of your vehicle and wait for 5–10 seconds, after which you can crank the vehicle again but not more than 3–5 seconds per attempt. If you smell fuel, see any type of smoke, or the engine starts and dies immediately, then you should not attempt to restart your vehicle.
Call for help
After you have come on the side of the road and are unable to restart the vehicle, then you have to avoid attempting repairs. Instead, you should either contact the car manufacturer’s roadside assistance, or insurance RSA helpline, or any private towing service. Following which, you have to share your exact location, car details, what happened, number of passengers and any medical needs.
Use safety triangles
If you have come out of the car after it has broken down, you should ideally use the safety triangle provided in the car. Place this triangle 15–20 meters behind your car on the city road and 50–70 meters if you are on a highway.
Leave the car immediately if
After getting stopped on the road, if you see visible smoke coming out of the car or there is a strong smell of fuel, then immediately come out of the car. Also, if there is a risk of collision from approaching vehicles, then you should again try to exit the vehicle safely and quickly.
Don't try to push the car
Pushing down a car which is not running is a very dangerous task and it should be avoided. It only makes sense to push a car if the road is quiet, several people are there to help, or you are just moving the car away for a few meters to get off the road.
Diagnosis of the vehicle only after you are safe
If you are safe from any danger from the road or the car is not smoking or there is no fuel smell, then you can perform some basic checks such as warning lights on the dashboard, fuel level, signs of overheating, smoke or leaks, or loose battery terminals. If there is any major issue, then waiting for a professional is the best choice.
What to keep in the car?
Always keep reflective safety triangles, reflective jacket, torch, portable tyre inflator, power bank and a basic first aid kit in your car. All of these can prove to be life savers in case of any adverse scenario.