Car Broke Down on the Highway? What to Do, Step by Step

Your dashboard lights up, the engine sputters, and the car starts losing speed in the middle lane. If your car broke down on the highway, the next two minutes matter more than anything else, and they have nothing to do with fixing the car. They are about getting you, your passengers and other drivers out of harm's way.

Our dispatchers take these calls every day. This is the same step-by-step plan we walk drivers through on the phone, in the order that keeps people safest.

If anyone is hurt, the car is on fire, or you are stopped in a live lane and cannot move, call 911 first. Then call for a tow.

1. Signal, slow down and get as far right as you can

The moment something feels wrong, switch on your hazard lights. That single button tells every driver behind you to expect a slow or stopped car. Then:

• Take your foot off the gas and let the car slow gradually. Avoid hard braking unless something is directly ahead.

• Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move one lane at a time toward the right shoulder.

• Aim for the widest, flattest spot you can reach: an exit ramp, a wide shoulder, the far side of a bridge, or a parking lot if an exit is close.

• Avoid stopping on a curve, just over a hill, or on a narrow bridge, where approaching drivers cannot see you in time.

If the car still rolls, keep going a little further to a safer spot. Driving slowly on a flat tire for a few hundred yards can ruin a wheel, but a wheel is cheap compared with stopping in a blind spot.

On the left side of a divided freeway? Only stop on the left shoulder if you truly cannot cross to the right. Left shoulders are usually narrower and put you next to the fastest traffic.

2. Make the car visible

Once you are stopped, turn the wheels away from traffic and set the parking brake. Keep the hazard lights on. At night or in rain, turn on your interior dome light as well, so drivers can see that people are inside.

If you carry reflective triangles or flares and it is safe to walk behind the car on the shoulder side, place them well behind the vehicle to give approaching drivers time to react. If traffic is fast and the shoulder is narrow, skip this step. No warning triangle is worth standing next to a live lane.

Raising the hood is a widely recognized signal that you need help, but only do it if you can stand on the side away from traffic.

3. Decide: stay in the car or get out?

This is the question drivers ask us most, and the honest answer is that it depends on where you stopped.

Usually stay inside, seat belt on, when you are on a shoulder with a guardrail, concrete barrier or steep drop on your side, or when traffic is heavy and there is nowhere safe to stand. A buckled seat belt protects you if a passing car clips your vehicle.

Usually get out and move away when there is a safe place well away from the road, such as behind a guardrail, up an embankment, or on a grass verge far from the travel lanes. Exit on the side away from traffic, take everyone with you, and stand well behind and away from the car, never between your car and traffic.

Always get out if you see smoke or flames, smell fuel, or the car is stuck in a live lane where it could be hit. Leave your belongings and move well away.

Never try to change a tire or open the hood on the traffic side of the car. If the flat tire is on the side facing traffic, call for help instead. That is exactly what a roadside tire change is for.

4. Work out exactly where you are

A tow truck can only reach you as fast as it can find you. Before you call, gather:

• The highway and direction: for example, I-35E southbound, not just "I-35".

• The nearest exit number, mile marker or cross street. Mile markers are the small green signs along the shoulder.

• A landmark: a bridge, overpass, billboard or business you can see.

• Your phone's location pin. Open your maps app and share or read out the coordinates.

When you text us your location, a dropped pin is the fastest way to get a truck to the right spot, especially on long stretches between exits.

5. Call for the right kind of help

Tell the dispatcher what happened, not just "I need a tow." The symptoms decide what gets sent, and the right truck the first time saves time and money:

• Clicking, no crank, dim lights: probably a dead battery. A jump start ($140) often gets you moving again. Our car won't start guide explains the other common causes.

• Flat or shredded tire: a tire change (from $130) if you have a usable spare.

• Ran out of gas:fuel delivery ($150 including 3 gallons).

• Overheating, grinding, warning lights, smoke, or an accident: you need a tow. With RoadReady Tow that is $150 to hook up plus $10 a mile, and your dispatcher confirms the total before the truck is sent.

• Electric vehicle out of charge:mobile EV charging ($175) can add enough range to reach a charger. EVs that do need moving should go on a flatbed.

Also mention what you drive (all-wheel drive, electric and lowered cars need a flatbed), how many people need a ride, and where you want the car taken. That lets the dispatcher quote an exact price on the first call. Our guide to towing vs. roadside assistance explains the difference in more detail.

6. Stay safe while you wait

• Keep your seat belt on if you are inside the car, and keep the hazards running.

• In Texas summer heat, do not wait in a closed car without air conditioning. If the engine cannot run, crack the windows, drink water and, if it is safe, wait in shade well away from traffic.

• Keep your phone charged. Lower the screen brightness and close apps you do not need.

• Be careful with offers of help from strangers. Confirm that any tow truck that arrives is the company you called, and ask the driver to tell you your name or booking reference.

• Do not try to push the car across lanes or run across the highway on foot.

7. When the tow truck arrives

Before the car is hooked up, confirm the price and the destination with the driver, and make sure it matches what the dispatcher told you. Take a few photos of your car from all sides; it takes ten seconds and protects everyone. Remove valuables, garage remotes and anything you need for the next day.

If your car was towed after an accident on a Texas highway, or towed away from a parking lot without your permission, different rules and fee caps apply. Our Texas towing rights guide covers what you can be charged.

Build a small breakdown kit

Most of what makes a breakdown easier fits in a small bag in the trunk:

• Phone charging cable and a small power bank

• Reflective triangles and a flashlight

• Water, especially in summer

• A reflective vest

• Basic first-aid kit

• Jumper cables or a portable jump pack

• A note of your tow company's number, so you are not searching while stopped on a shoulder

Save our number now: if you are in one of the 150 cities we serve, one call gets a live dispatcher, a confirmed price and an honest arrival time.