What to Do If You Break Down on the Motorway (UK Safety Guide)

Breaking down on a motorway is one of the most dangerous situations a driver can face. Traffic is fast, the hard shoulder is narrow or missing altogether, and panic makes bad decisions easy. Here is exactly what to do — and how to get moving again.

1. Get yourself to safety first

Your vehicle can be replaced; you cannot. If you can, move onto the hard shoulder or into an emergency refuge area, turn your wheels to the left, and put your hazard lights on. Exit through the left-hand door, away from traffic, and get everyone behind the barrier and up the embankment if possible. Do not stand between your car and moving traffic, and never attempt repairs on the hard shoulder.

2. On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder

If you cannot reach an emergency refuge area and are stuck in a live lane, keep your seatbelts on, put your hazards on, and call 999 immediately. Highways England can close the lane and set a red X to protect you.

3. Call for recovery

Once you are safe, call for help. With K9 there is no membership and no call-centre queue — you speak to someone straight away and the nearest driver is dispatched. Have your location ready: the marker posts on the verge give the road and direction, and your phone’s location helps too.

4. While you wait

Stay behind the barrier. Keep an eye on approaching traffic. Do not let children or pets back into the car unless it is genuinely safer to do so. Recovery to a place of safety comes first; onward transport home or to a garage follows.

How K9 helps

We run 24/7 motorway breakdown recovery across the entire network, with drivers on the M25, M6 and every major route. One call gets you off the motorway and on your way — see all the areas we cover.