What to do if your car broke down on the freeway?

This story is chilling: Toddler left orphaned as five killed in horror crash on M1 at Coomera | News.com.au
Their car broke down on the freeway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, a road that I am very familiar with. They waited in their car on the side of the road but was hit from behind by another car, with the terrible consequences that 4 of them were killed.
Although I have a sturdy car in a Volvo XC 70 Cross Country, our plan is to leave the car (together with Benny) and walk away from the road. I just wonder waht other guys here think about such situations if their car should break down.

Always been told to get out the car and stand at least the other side of the crash barrier (no matter what weather), to prevent the above situation.

Ironically, the only time I've ever had to pull over on a motorway was when I got a puncture on the offside one rainy night about eight years ago and I did actually change it. Stupid.

Yep you are supposed to get out of the car and as far away from the motorway as possible. Must be tricky in really bad weather.

Jamie I can understand what you did. Silly. But then it's that or get charged several hundred pounds with a wait of several hours for the professionals.

Definitely a scary experience to change a wheel on the side of a motorway. Safety triangle a good distance back up the road.
The buffeting airflow off the big trucks causing my vehicle to sway on the jack was the most concerning aspect. I ran over a piece of wood with nails in it to cause the loss of air.

Psychic Cop Avoids Car Crash - YouTube

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Originally Posted by J4MIE

Always been told to get out the car and stand at least the other side of the crash barrier (no matter what weather), to prevent the above situation.

Ironically, the only time I've ever had to pull over on a motorway was when I got a puncture on the offside one rainy night about eight years ago and I did actually change it. Stupid.

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I got a puncture in the Dartford Tunnel a few years back - I limped to the end and pulled off into one of the refuge areas and executed a tyre change McLaren would have been proud of!

But as you say, yes the correct move is to stand the other side of the barriers even if it means getting soaked, or if there's no barrier climb as far up the banking as you are able - then call the police.

I saw a DEKRA video on Deutsche Welle's "Drive It!" show that had a test dummy standing in front of a Renault Clio and a couple of "children" dummies in the back of the vehicle being struck by an Insignia at 100km/h. The test dummies remain intact whilst the one standing in front, is sent flying over the top of the armco.
In another video of a similar accident at just 10 km/h more, the rear of the Clio is punched in, and the blast panels on all three dummies in the vehicle have been blown, which equates to real people dying.

If you do breakdown on the motorway...
If you break down | AA
- Pull on to the hard shoulder and stop as far to the left as possible with the wheels turned to the left.
- Leave your sidelights on and turn on the hazard warning lights.
- Get out of the vehicle by the left-hand door and make sure that all your passengers do the same. (this would be reversed for LHD cars)
- Leave animals in the vehicle or, in an emergency, keep them under proper control on the verge.
- If you have reflective jackets in the vehicle wear them. Do not use a warning triangle on the hard shoulder.
- Make sure that passengers keep away from the carriageway and hard shoulder, and that children are kept under control. It is best to retreat up the bank, or behind a barrier if this is possible.
- Don't attempt even simple repairs.

I'd even put your triangles out 30 and 60 yards back up the road. That's what they're there for.

With pictures:
Safety motorway: breakdown - ASFA

But it says don't use triangles...

I love the people who put triangles 1m behind their car, like I'm going to notice the tiny red thing before the massive metal box hiding behind it.

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Originally Posted by Dave B

I love the people who put triangles 1m behind their car, like I'm going to notice the tiny red thing before the massive metal box hiding behind it.

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Red Triangle should be 45 metres on a two way road and 150 metres on Dual Carriageways and Motorways!
If you break down ,everybody out of the car via the NS door ,and at least behind the crash barrier,or up the banking well away from the car.Also care that any pets you have in car do not jump out with the occupants.Look at marker post to see which way to walk to nearest emergency phone ( marker posts every 100 metres) ,and the furthest you should have to walk to phone is half a mile !Never try to change a wheel,or carry out repairs,safer and you are told in Highway Code to call Emergency services .Above all keep your vehicle well maintained always

https://www.gov.uk/breakdowns-and-in...ays-275-to-278

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Originally Posted by Dave B

I love the people who put triangles 1m behind their car, like I'm going to notice the tiny red thing before the massive metal box hiding behind it.

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We had one case here in Melbourne around 10 months ago where a young mother remained in the car in the stopping lane with her baby. A truck hit her car and killed her but the baby survived.
My Volvo has those large horizontal hazard warning lights, but if I were to put the triangle anywhere, I'd hang it on the rear window's wiper blade, with as much of it sticking above the roof line as possible; and I'd hightail it out of there up a bank,or well beyond any crash barrier.
I know those blue flashing lights that you see cops on TV stick on top of the car would be helpful, but I don't know if they are legal.

It's strange that the [British] Highway Code does not say you should use your hazard warning lights for a 'normal' breakdown on the hard shoulder but only if you are stuck on the road or if you are disabled. I would have thought that switching on the hazard warning lights would be the first thing you should do - isn't that what they are intended for?

There is the issue of breaking down in very cold weather. Many people will not have big coats and cold weather gear with them if they are expecting to just go door to door. Sometimes recovery can take an hour or longer to get there. Your health may be at risk sitting out on a cold and wet embankment for that time.

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Originally Posted by Mark

There is the issue of breaking down in very cold weather. Many people will not have big coats and cold weather gear with them if they are expecting to just go door to door. Sometimes recovery can take an hour or longer to get there. Your health may be at risk sitting out on a cold and wet embankment for that time.

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Oh , come on , Mark .
It doesn't even get cold where you are .

It gets cold enough for an hour outside in a t-shirt not to do you any good. And it's not so much the cold as the constant rain...

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Originally Posted by Mark

It gets cold enough for an hour outside in a t-shirt not to do you any good. And it's not so much the cold as the constant rain...

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That proves it never gets cold there .
I have one of those thick , felted moving van blankets in the back , and never go out without the double-sweater action .

If I break down on one of our major highways , the first thing I do is flip on the four-ways , and run around the back of the car to clear those lights of snow .
And , I don't drive a white vehicle in winter .....ever .

start crying

Get out of the car on the traffic side. Work on your car right by the traffic flow. Then go onto the dual carriageway and wave down help. Best stand in the middle lane so people can see you.

Then sit in your car until help arrives, being sure never to sit on the bank safely out the way. Otherwise no one will ever see you.

I think that was what I was told. I good in an emergancy.

and don't forget to turn your lights off if it's dark, to save the battery for when you might need it...