What to do if you break down

The first 60 seconds

Most breakdowns give you some warning: a warning light, a loss of power, a strange noise or a shudder. The moment you notice something wrong, your only job is to get the car somewhere safer while it still moves.

1. Indicate and move left. Aim for a hard shoulder, lay-by, verge, side road or car park. Even a few hundred yards of coasting can get you out of a live lane.
2. Hazard lights on as soon as you stop.
3. Turn the wheels slightly towards the verge and put the handbrake on. If the car is hit from behind, it is less likely to roll into traffic.
4. Sidelights on if it is dark or visibility is poor.

Don't try to keep driving to "get home" if the car is overheating, has lost oil pressure or is making a grinding noise. A short drive can turn a cheap repair into an expensive one.

Where to wait: it depends on the road

Motorways and fast dual carriageways

Get everyone out through the doors on the side away from traffic. Climb over the barrier if there is one and stand well back from the road, up the bank if possible. Wear a high-vis vest if you have one. Don't put a warning triangle out on a motorway or fast dual carriageway: walking along the road to place it is too dangerous. Our A14 breakdown advice covers fast roads in more detail.

If you have stopped in a live lane and can't get out safely, stay in the car with your seatbelt on and hazards on, and call 999.

Single-carriageway A roads and country lanes

Pull onto the verge or into a gateway or lay-by if you can. Stand well away from the car, behind it and off the road, where approaching drivers can see you. Bends and hill brows are the danger points, because drivers come round them with little warning. If you carry a warning triangle and it is safe to do so, place it at least 45 metres behind the car on the same side of the road.

Town streets, estates and car parks

You are usually safe to wait in or beside the car, as long as it is parked out of the flow of traffic. If you have stopped at a junction or on a roundabout, get out and wait on the pavement. If the car is light enough and the road is quiet, you may be able to push it a short way into a safer spot, but only with help and only when there's no traffic.

Calling for help: what to tell us

When you call Rapid Recovery on 07598 314366, a few details let us send the right truck and give you an accurate price straight away.

• Your exact location. The quickest way is a WhatsApp live location to the same number. A what3words address works too. Otherwise, give the road name or number, the nearest junction, village or landmark, and your direction of travel. On dual carriageways, the marker posts at the roadside carry a location reference.
• Your vehicle. Make, model and colour, and whether it is a car, van, 4x4, motorbike or campervan.
• What happened. Warning lights, noises, smoke, a flat tyre, an accident, or it simply won't start.
• Whether the wheels turn and whether you have the keys.
• Where you want it taken. Home, your garage, a dealer, or our secure storage yard.
• How many passengers need to travel with the vehicle.

We will confirm the price on the phone before we set off. Local breakdown recovery has a £60 minimum charge, and the breakdown recovery cost guide explains what affects it.

What to expect when we arrive

In Corby, we usually arrive in 30 to 45 minutes. Elsewhere, we give you a realistic time when you call. When the truck arrives, our driver will check that everyone is safe, look at the vehicle and agree the plan with you.

Sometimes a fix at the roadside is possible. A flat battery can often be jump started, and a flat tyre can be changed onto your spare or space saver. Otherwise, we load the vehicle using the right method for it: a spec lift for a quick tow, a beavertail with a shallow angle for low cars, or dollies and skates if the wheels are seized. Then we take you and your car where you need to go.

Children and pets

Children should get out on the side away from traffic, with an adult, and wait behind the barrier or well away from the road. Keep small children's hands held. On a quieter street where it's safe to stay in the car, keep doors locked and seatbelts on.

Pets should usually stay in the car on fast roads. A frightened dog loose near traffic is a danger to itself and to drivers. The exception is if the car is at risk, such as from smoke or fire. Then get the animal out on a lead. On hot days, don't leave pets in a closed car: open windows and wait nearby where it is safe. Tell us about pets and children when you call so we can plan the journey.

Breaking down at night

At night, other drivers see you later, so visibility matters even more.

• Keep hazards and sidelights on.
• Wear a high-vis vest or light-coloured clothing if you have it.
• Use your phone torch to see where you are walking, not to signal traffic.
• Stay behind the barrier or well off the road, not in front of the car.

If you feel unsafe because of where you are or who is around, lock yourself in the car with hazards on if it's out of traffic, and tell us when you call. If you feel in danger, call 999. We are open 24/7, so a breakdown at 2am gets the same response as one at 2pm.

After an accident

If you have been in a collision, the order of priorities is people first, then paperwork, then the car.

1. Check for injuries. If anyone is hurt, or the road is blocked, call 999.
2. Get to safety using the same rules as a breakdown.
3. Exchange details with the other driver: name, address, phone, registration and insurance details. By law, you must stop and give details if anyone is injured or another vehicle or property is damaged.
4. Take photos of the vehicles, the road and any damage, if it is safe.
5. Report it to the police within 24 hours if you couldn't exchange details at the scene or someone was injured.
6. Tell your insurer as soon as you can.

We carry out accident recovery and work with insurance and accident management companies. We can take a damaged car to a garage, your home or our secure storage yard while the claim is sorted. Some of our trucks can carry one car and tow a second, which helps when two vehicles need moving. Don't open a hot radiator cap or restart an engine that has stalled in floodwater: both can cause injury or serious damage.

Insurance and breakdown cover

You don't need breakdown cover to call us. We work on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you pay only for the job you need, at a price agreed before we set off. If you do have breakdown cover but are facing a long wait, you can still call us.

After an accident, your motor insurer may arrange recovery, or may let you arrange it and claim back the cost. Check your policy or ask them. Keep your receipt either way. Payment is by card on the day, bank transfer or cash.

Be ready before it happens

• Save 07598 314366 in your phone.
• Keep a high-vis vest, a torch, a warm layer, water and a phone charger in the car.
• Check your spare or space saver and the tools to fit it.
• Learn how to share your location on WhatsApp.

If your car simply won't start on the driveway, read car won't start? or book a jump start. And if this breakdown is the last straw, our guide on how to scrap a car explains what to do next. For anything else, contact us.

Last updated 14 October 2026 by Rapid Recovery Corby.

Helpful guides

• Breaking down on the A14
• Car won't start?
• How to scrap a car

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