How to Deal With Breakdowns | Saga Car Insurance

What you need to do if your car breaks down

Safety and advice on breakdowns including what to do on smart motorways and electric vehicle recovery

Published - 27 Jun 2024

As motorists, it’s natural to fear getting stuck out on the road, particularly at night or far from home. Read our guide on what to do if you break down.

What to do if your car breaks down

The first thing to do if your car breaks down is to remain calm and pull over to a place of safety. What you do next will depend on where you are at the time, what you need to do on a normal road will not be the same for a motorway.

General advice
At home
Roads, roundabouts & car parks

Motorways
Smart motorways
Who do I call

Electric vehicles
What to carry
Prevention

General breakdown advice

Switch your hazard lights on.
Pull off the road to the left if you can.
Put on hi-vis or reflective clothing.
Switch on rear sidelights if there’s poor visibility or at night.
Don’t try and figure out how to repair the problem yourself. Call your breakdown service if you are in a safe position to do so. If you don't have breakdown cover, the AA or RAC can offer an instant service for a fee.
If you’re somewhere unfamiliar, check what3words.com to let the recovery van know exactly where you are.

Breakdown tips for roads, roundabouts and car parks

Country roads – If your car gives out on an ordinary road or a countryside lane, place your warning triangle 45 metres behind it.
City streets – If you’re on a busy city street, get out of the way of other cars and open your bonnet to show drivers that you’ve broken down.
Roundabouts – If your car breaks down on a roundabout, try to get off at the next exit or on the left-hand edge away from an exit if you can’t move your car any further.
Car parks – If you break down in a car park, make sure you have a valid ticket. If you’re not in a parking space, alert the attendant or staff to help you push your car out of the way.

What to do if you break down on a motorway

Try to leave at the nearest exit or service station or pull onto the hard shoulder and turn your wheels to the left. Do not use your warning triangle on motorways.
If you don’t have a working mobile phone, find the nearest emergency telephone on your side of the motorway.
If you can’t get to the hard shoulder, try and reach the lane that’s furthest on the left.
Exit on the passenger side. Do not stand between your car and passing vehicles.

What to do if you break down on a smart motorway

Get into the left-hand lane and exit at the closest junction.
Follow the orange SOS signs to the nearest emergency refuge area (ERA).
Park in the marked bay and use the emergency phone to contact Highways England.
Once your vehicle is running again, use the ERA phone again so they can close the lane and you can safely re-join the motorway.

What to do if your electric car breaks down

You should treat an EV breakdown as similar to breaking down in petrol or diesel car.

Move over to the left and get off at the nearest junction if you can.
If you've run out of charge your breakdown provider should be able to provide you with enough charge to get to the nearest charging point.
Electric car insurance from Saga includes a battery recharge from the RAC to give you enough power to get to the nearest charging point, take you to the charge point or home. We also provide other benefits for EV drivers such as replacement for your battery and charging equipment if they are damaged in an accident or fire.

What can I do if my car breaks down at home?

If your car has broken down at home and it’s parked on your driveway, you should be able to leave it unattended while you arrange for help. If it is in another private location, ask the property owner for permission to park.

Home Call cover from Saga includes repair or recovery if your car won’t start at home or away.

Who do I call if my car has broken down?

Even if you are not a member of a UK breakdown service, you can still call for emergency assistance. If you have a disability or you can’t get to safety, keep your seatbelt on, switch on your hazard lights and call 999.

Saga Car Insurance customers can easily add breakdown cover to their policy. Our roadside assistance is available 24-hours and there’s no limit to the callouts you can make in the UK. If you get a flat battery, puncture, have run out of fuel or need a charge, we’re at your service.

What to carry in your car for breakdown situations

High visibility jacket
First aid kit
Blankets and spare clothes
Food and water
Jump leads

Torch
Portable phone charger (power bank)
Warning triangle
Be familiar with where your spare tyre/repair kit and locking wheel nut key is to help speed up roadside assistance.

How to prevent a breakdown

Wondering why your car has broken down? Flat or faulty batteries, damaged wheels, using the wrong fuel or running out of oil are all common causes. Getting a regular service can help prevent issues from arising when you’re on the road.

You can use Saga Garage Finder to compare MOTs and services in your local area.

Who are Saga's car insurance policies underwritten by?

Saga’s car insurance policies, exclusively for people over 50, are unique products designed by us specifically for our customers. They are underwritten by a number of carefully selected insurers that provide high standards of quality and service.