Car Trouble Tips

Safety is most important in the event of car trouble. So, here are a few things to remember:

8 Car Trouble Tips

1. At the first sign of car trouble, carefully take your foot off the accelerator. Abrupt deceleration or sudden, hard braking can cause your car to swerve or lose control - especially if it's a flat tire.
2. Gently get your car off the road. Pull over as far as possible to the road's shoulder. Or, if you're traveling a major highway, look for the nearest exit. Use your signals to let drivers behind you know your intentions.
3. Make your car as visible as possible. Use your emergency flashers. Set up flares, warning flags or reflective triangles. At night, turn on the interior dome light. It is critically important that you warn oncoming traffic of your breakdown and stranded vehicle.
4. If circumstances prevent you from getting the vehicle fully off the road, do not stay in the car regardless of how well you have tried to make it visible. Stand away from the vehicle until help arrives.
5. If the trouble is nothing more than a simple flat tire, you're well off the shoulder, and confident your car is visible to traffic, change it as you normally would. But if the problem is mechanical, you probably need professional help.
6. Don't try to flag down other vehicles. Simply raise your hood or tie a white cloth to your antenna or hang it out the window. This is a universal distress signal, which will alert police or tow truck drivers of your situation.
7. Cell phones are a wise investment for your safety. So is membership in our 24-Hour Emergency Roadside Service, which features unlimited miles for towing services, all for $5 per policy period. This coverage follows your automobile, providing roadside assistance to anyone allowed to operate your vehicle.
8. You can't trust everyone to be a Good Samaritan. If you're stranded, especially at night, wait for help inside your locked vehicle. If someone stops to offer help, lower the window slightly and ask them to call the police.