Stay Calm, Stay Safe: Your First 60 Seconds Matter Most
You’re driving down the highway when suddenly your engine starts making sounds like a dying animal. In situations like these, often panic starts to set in. How you handle the first minute of a highway breakdown can determine everything that follows, and panic often makes the situation worse. When your car decides to quit on you during highway travel, your safety can depend on quick, smart decisions. As a professional towing an I-95 roadside assistance team, we see the aftermath of both good and bad breakdown responses on a regular basis. The difference between a minor inconvenience and a major disaster often comes down to following the right steps in the right order.
Get Off the Road
The moment you realize your car is failing, your top priority is getting out of traffic. Don’t try to nurse a dying engine to the next exit if you’re losing power. A disabled car in the travel lane is a sitting target for distracted drivers, especially during rush hour or poor weather conditions.
Pull as far right as possible onto the shoulder. If you can’t make it to the shoulder, get to the median if it’s wider and safer. Turn on your hazard lights immediately, before you even stop moving. Your car becomes invisible to other drivers faster than you think, and those flashing lights are your first line of defense.
Make Yourself Visible
Your car might be off the road, but you’re still in danger. Highway shoulders are narrow, and vehicles travel at high speeds just feet away from where you’re sitting. Making yourself visible is crucial.
Turn on your hazard lights and leave them on. If you have flares, reflective triangles, or emergency markers, use them. Place them behind your car, starting about 100 feet back and working toward your vehicle. This gives approaching drivers time to see you and change lanes. If it’s dark, turn on your interior lights. The goal is to make your presence obvious from as far away as possible. Professional I-95 roadside assistance crews use multiple lighting systems for this exact reason: visibility saves lives.
Call for Help: Who to Contact and What to Say
You need help, but who do you call first? The order matters, and the information you provide determines how quickly help arrives.
Call 911 first if there are injuries, if your car is blocking traffic, or if you’re in immediate danger. They dispatch police and emergency services who can secure the scene and direct traffic around you. Next, contact us for I-95 roadside assistance or towing. Have your location ready: mile markers, exit numbers, or landmarks help responders find you faster.
Describe your car’s condition, what happened, and any safety concerns. The more details you provide, the better equipped they’ll be to help you. Don’t forget to call family or friends to let them know what happened. They can help coordinate alternative transportation or meet you at a safe location.
What Not to Do
Don’t try to fix major problems yourself on the highway. Changing a tire on a busy interstate is dangerous enough with proper equipment and experience. Attempting engine repairs in traffic is asking for trouble. Leave mechanical work to professionals in safe locations. Don’t leave your car to walk for help unless you’re in immediate danger.
The distance to the next exit can be farther than it appears, and walking on highway shoulders puts you at risk. Don’t ignore your gut feelings about safety. If something feels wrong about your location, the people stopping to help, or the approaching weather, trust those instincts. It’s better to be overcautious than to become a statistic.
Universal Towing: Your Trusted I-95 Roadside Assistance Partner
Every highway breakdown we respond to at Universal Towing teaches us something new about preparation, quick thinking, and professional response. We can pull cars from median strips, change tires on highway, and provide I-95 roadside assistance to stranded sedans, vans or RVs Our I-95 roadside assistance team is well aware that after a breakdown you need to get back to your life as quickly as possible. That’s why we arrive equipped for any situation, trained to work in traffic, and committed to treating your emergency with the urgency it deserves. When your car breaks down and you need dependable I-95 roadside assistance, Universal Towing responds with the expertise, equipment, and care that turns a highway emergency into nothing more than a temporary inconvenience.