Breakdowns and incidents

If your vehicle breaks down, you should ensure that it does not endanger other road users. If possible, you should get your vehicle off the road and warn other road users by switching on your hazard warning lights and placing warning triangle. If the visibility is poor, keep your parking lights on. Avoid standing between your vehicle and oncoming traffic.

Breakdowns on motorways

If you notice some malfunction in your vehicle while driving on a motorway, you should exit the motorway at the nearest exit, or at the service area. If this is not possible, drive to the hard shoulder as far to the right as possible and stop. Turn your wheels to the right. Place the warning triangle at least 45 meters behind your vehicle. When you and your passengers will be leaving the vehicle, they should use the right hand doors. Ensure that the passengers are away from the carriageway and the hard shoulder. Do not try to fix your car while parked on the hard shoulder. Instead, you should walk to the nearest emergency telephone and call for help. While you are talking on the phone with the operator you should be facing the traffic. Be ready to provide the details of the situation to the operator. After the call you should return and wait near your vehicle, but far enough from the carriageway and hard shoulder.

Beware dangerous goods vehicles

If you witness an incident, which involves a vehicle containing dangerous goods, you must not smoke and refrain others from doing so. You should keep away from the vehicle and do not try to rescue anyone from it because you yourself may become injured. Instead, call the emergency services and provide necessary information. Do not use your mobile phone near a vehicle, which carries flammable goods.

If anything falls from your vehicle, you may stop to pick it only when it is absolutely safe to do so. If this happens on a motorway, you should never try to pick it yourself. Instead, you should park on the hard shoulder near the next emergency telephone and describe the incident to the operator.