A car breakdown can be incredibly frustrating and potentially unsafe. Here are some tips for how to stay safe while waiting for a tow truck to arrive.
Preserve phone battery
While you certainly want to keep your phone nearby in case of an emergency, avoid using it as a cure for boredom while you wait for a tow. Surfing social media sites, watching videos, and playing games drain your phone’s battery life, which is precious when you’re stranded alone on the side of the road. If you need to call 911 or a worried family member is trying to get a hold of you, you want to be able to make/take the call! So while it might be tempting to use your phone to entertain you or your kids while you wait, extend the life of your phone battery and try to find some other way to pass the time.
Keep those hazards on
Your primary concern while waiting for a tow truck should be the safety of you and your passengers. But you should also be aware that your breakdown puts other motorists at risk. Consequently, make sure you turn on your hazards and keep them on until your tow truck arrives. Other drivers need to see you and know that you are not going anywhere any time soon. Hazard lights are for your safety as much as theirs!
Be alert and prepared
It’s helpful to have some sort of self-defense plan in place when you’re waiting for a tow truck, particularly if you are waiting alone or after dark. Having your phone nearby, as mentioned before, can be helpful, but it’s also good to have mace and a few self-defense techniques, just in case. Keep your purse and other valuables close by and, if you have children, keep them in your line of sight at all times to ensure they aren’t opening the car doors or running out into the road. Exercise caution when you exit your vehicle and don’t ever accept a ride from strangers, no matter how sincere they may seem.
Hopefully, all of the extra precautions you’re taking are unnecessary. That being said, you won’t regret taking safety measures, but you may regret not taking them.