Most car trouble starts with a sound or a feeling.
A loud bang from a tire, a steering wheel that suddenly pulls or a temperature needle creeping toward red.
In that moment, your first reaction decides a lot.
Panic leads to hard braking and sharp steering, which turn a problem into a crash.
A calm plan keeps the car under control and gets you safely off the road.
This guide covers the most common roadside emergencies and the steps for each one.
The steps come from the California Driver Handbook, which follows advice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Laws vary by state, so check your own state handbook for local details.
Tire blowout: hold steady, then slow down
A blowout feels violent.
The car may jerk toward the side of the failed tire, and the noise can be startling.
The California Driver Handbook warns against two instinctive reactions.
Suddenly braking can make you lose control.
So can abruptly taking your foot off the accelerator.
Instead, the handbook lists these steps:
- Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands.
- Keep your speed steady, if that is possible and safe.
- Gradually release the accelerator.
- Correct the steering as needed to keep the car straight.
- Look and steer where you want the car to go.
- Once the car is stable, keep slowing down and pull off the road when it is safe.
The key idea is to let the car settle before you slow it down.
Brake gently only after you have control again.
Lower the odds of a blowout
- Check tire pressure once a month and before long trips, with the tires cold.
- Look for bulges, cuts and worn tread.
- Do not overload the car beyond the limit in your owner's manual.
Wheels drift off the pavement
It happens on narrow roads, in sharp curves or after a moment of distraction.
Your right wheels drop onto a soft shoulder, and the car feels like it is being pulled off the road.
The natural reaction is to yank the wheel back.
The handbook warns that pulling too hard can send you across the road into oncoming traffic.
Follow these steps instead:
- Grip the steering wheel firmly.
- Take your foot off the accelerator.
- Brake gently.
- Check for traffic behind you.
- Carefully steer back onto the pavement.
Wait until the car has slowed before you ease back onto the road.
A gentle, controlled return is far safer than a fast one.
The engine starts to overheat
Your temperature gauge is an early warning system.
The handbook gives separate advice for hot and cold weather.
In extreme heat
- Watch the temperature gauge.
- Avoid driving at high speeds for long periods.
- Turn off the air conditioner to reduce the load on the engine.
In extreme cold
- Watch the temperature gauge, because the engine may not have the right level of antifreeze.
- Use the defroster or open the windows slightly to keep them from fogging.
If the needle keeps rising, pull over safely and turn off the engine.
Never open a hot radiator cap.
The coolant is under pressure and can cause serious burns.
Let the engine cool and check your owner's manual for the next step.
Your car breaks down on the freeway
A car that stops working on a busy freeway puts you right next to fast traffic.
The handbook lists a clear order of steps:
- Safely pull over to the right shoulder.
- If you must get out, exit on the right side, away from traffic.
- Call for help. In California, dial 511 or find a call box.
- Get back into the car from the right side as soon as you can.
- Stay inside with your seat belt on until help arrives.
- Use your emergency flashers, especially at night or in bad weather.
When it is safer to get out
Staying in the car is usually the safest choice.
The handbook names a few situations where it is safer to get out and stay away.
- There is not enough space on the shoulder.
- There is a guardrail you can stand behind.
- There is an area where you can safely stay away from the freeway lanes.
If you leave the car, move well away from the traffic lanes and stay there.
Where to stop on other roads
The handbook's introduction to driving adds advice for any road.
- Turn on your emergency flashers, or your turn signals if you have no flashers.
- Pull off the road away from all traffic, if possible.
- If you cannot get completely off the road, stop where drivers behind can see you.
- Do not stop just over a hill or just around a curve.
- Call for roadside help and stay in your vehicle until it arrives.
Drivers coming around a blind curve may not see a stopped car in time.
Rolling a little farther to a straight, visible spot can make a big difference.
Free help in some areas
In parts of California, the Highway Patrol Freeway Service Patrol helps stranded drivers during commute hours.
The handbook says it can bring a gallon of gas, jump a dead battery, refill a radiator or change a flat tire.
If it cannot start your car, it will tow it free to an approved location.
Other states run similar roadside programs, often listed on the state transportation website.
Stalled on railroad tracks
This is the one situation where leaving the car immediately is always the rule.
The handbook gives two scenarios.
A train is coming or the lights are flashing
- Get out of the car right away.
- Run away from the tracks at an angle, toward the direction the train is coming from.
- Then call 911.
Moving toward the train sounds wrong, but it keeps you out of the path of flying debris.
When a train hits a car, the wreckage is pushed forward in the direction the train travels.
No train in sight
- Get out of the car.
- Call the number posted on the crossing or on the metal control box near the tracks.
- Give the crossing number if it is posted, and tell them a vehicle is on the tracks.
- Then call 911.
Our guide to railroad crossings explains how to avoid stopping on the tracks in the first place.
A word about carbon monoxide
A damaged exhaust system can leak carbon monoxide into the cabin.
The handbook describes it as a deadly gas with no smell.
Never start your car inside a garage with the door closed.
Symptoms include tiredness, yawning, dizziness, nausea, headache and ringing in the ears.
If you notice them while driving, open the windows, pull over and have the exhaust system checked.
Keep a simple roadside kit
- A charged phone and a car charger.
- A flashlight and spare batteries.
- Reflective triangles or flares.
- Water, a blanket and basic first aid supplies.
- Your auto club or roadside assistance number.
Brakes are another system worth knowing well.
Our article on brake trouble on the road covers locked wheels and brake failure.
The bottom line
Car trouble is rarely dangerous by itself.
The danger comes from sudden reactions and from where the car ends up.
Hold the wheel, slow down gently, get fully off the road and stay buckled in until help arrives.
Sources and Further Reading
- California DMV: California Driver Handbook, Section 8, Safe Driving (Continued) — supports the tire blowout steps, driving off the pavement, overheating in heat and cold, a freeway breakdown, the Freeway Service Patrol, a car stalled on railroad tracks and carbon monoxide.
- California DMV: California Driver Handbook, Section 5, Introduction to Driving — supports using emergency flashers and choosing a visible place to stop when your vehicle has trouble.