Breaking down on a busy highway is one of the most stressful situations a driver can experience. With cars speeding past at 70+ mph, safety must be your absolute number one priority. Knowing exactly what to do can mean the difference between a safe recovery and a serious accident. Here is our step-by-step safety guide.

1. Pull Over Safely

As soon as you notice your vehicle is losing power, sputtering, or has a flat tire, try to steer it safely off the road:

  • Aim for the Right Shoulder: Always pull off to the right shoulder if possible. Avoid stopping on the left shoulder next to the fast lane unless you have absolutely no other option.
  • Get as Far Right as Possible: Park as far away from the active traffic lanes as the shoulder allows. If you can stop on a nearby exit ramp, that is even safer.
  • Straighten Your Wheels: Park with your wheels turned to the right (away from the highway). If your vehicle is struck from behind, this prevents it from being pushed into active traffic.

2. Make Your Vehicle Visible

Alert other drivers that your car is stationary. Turn on your **hazard lights (hazard flashers)** immediately. Keep them on the entire time you are stopped. If it is dark, turn on your interior dome light so your cabin is visible from behind. If you have reflective triangles or flares in your emergency kit, place them at least 100 feet behind your car, but only do so if it is safe to walk along the shoulder.

3. Stay in Your Car

In almost all cases, the safest place to wait is **inside your vehicle with your seatbelt fastened**. The steel cage and airbags of your car provide the best protection if another driver drifts onto the shoulder. Only exit your vehicle if there is an active engine fire, or if you can step completely over a guardrail or concrete barrier onto a safe grassy embankment away from the highway.

4. Call for Professional Towing

Call a reliable roadside towing provider right away. Give the dispatcher your exact location (use mile markers, cross streets, or GPS pins from your phone) and describe your vehicle type. At Emergency Towing Indianapolis, our dispatch center is open 24/7, and our drivers respond rapidly across Indianapolis to secure your vehicle and transport you safely.