Don’t Endanger Yourself While Waiting on a Tow

Breaking down on the side of the road can be a pretty deflating experience, especially if you were all psyched up to arrive at your destination on time. You may get out of your vehicle to try and find what the problem could be and whether it can be solved quickly.

You then end up getting disappointed further when you realize that you can’t solve the problem by prodding about with your shiny tools from the trunk. You need to call recovery towing in Bolingbrook to get you out of any fix.

While your trip may be delayed, or even canceled, you may be wallowing in regret and mulling several different sets of what-ifs in your head. As you actively engage your mind in various problem-solving attempts, you tend to forget to look after the most important person: Yourself.

There are a good number of dangers you pose to yourself when your car breaks down, and you lose all concentration. This article is an attempt to identify the most common of them and to help you avoid issues brought on by these dangers.

Get Your Vehicle Off the Road

Cars don’t have a specific time when they’re going to break down, that’s why regular maintenance is essential. However, proper maintenance does not make your vehicle problem proof. Gremlins have been known to strike any time of the day, regardless of what scriptures may say.

When you feel or see your car breaking down, the first thing you should do is get your vehicle off the road. And no, this doesn’t mean just getting off the driving lanes, it means if possible, off the shoulder of the road. A stalled car on the side of the road poses a hazard to other motorists and the occupant of the vehicle, as well. By now, you are well acquainted with the various YouTube videos depicting crashes involving stationary cars on the road.

Some kinds of stalling could be total, meaning that the mechanical and electrical systems are down. In others, the electrical systems could still be working. If this is the case, do turn on your hazard blinkers. Blinkers will indicate to oncoming traffic that you are experiencing some malfunction, and they should take appropriate steps to move away from you.

If you see that your vehicle is smoking or is leaking fluid, quickly get out of the car. It could be as simple as an overheating radiator, and you will need to pop the hood to allow the engine to cool. If it is not an overheating radiator, move a safe distance away from the vehicle.

If you have to walk away from your vehicle, do it while facing oncoming traffic. Just because you have parked your car on the side of the road doesn’t mean that some rogue driver or another malfunctioning vehicle won’t lose control and end up hitting you.

Lookout for Oncoming Traffic and Your Tow Truck

Your vehicle breaking down on the side of the road could be disheartening. You end up engaging your brain in trying to find a solution. As a result, you end up becoming less vigilant of your surroundings.

A good example could be accepting help from people who stop by the side of the road. Although it is a touching gesture to stop and help a fellow traveler, not everyone is helping out of the goodness of their hearts. It could be you’re just their next score.
As such, take stock of your belongings and always make sure you keep your valuables on your person. These can include sensitive things such as your car keys, your wallet, your insurance information, and your driver’s license.

Leaving your belongings in your car is never the best idea, especially for those that you cannot afford to lose. If your vehicle does get damaged while stalled on the side of the road, it would be easy for someone to nick your things from the car.

Get Familiar With Your Vehicle’s Surroundings

Since your car will not give a timetable of when it is going to stall, it can do so anytime and anywhere. Sometimes it may stall on a busy street or the side of a country road with green grass. Other times, it could stall in shady places, places that make you worry for your safety.

In such cases, stay close to your vehicle. If on a freeway, move away from the shoulder. If you feel you may be in danger, call for the assistance of the police.

Keep Warm Inside Your Car

The winter temperatures in Illinois are not for the faint of heart. Continued exposure to extremely low temperatures will lead to you developing hypothermia. You don’t need to be told how serious that condition can be.

In this case, you will need to stay inside the vehicle. You will also need to keep your engine running, if it is functional, to keep the inside of the cabin warm and toasty. If it is the fuel that has run out, then you will need to refrain from opening the doors. This will keep the heat previously generated trapped inside the cabin.

It is rare, but it does happen. It is possible for you to manage to lock yourself out of your vehicle. The temperatures in winter though terrible, are exacerbated by a natural phenomenon known as wind chill. When the wind blows over an object, it picks up heat from the object. This results in temperatures lowering around that object. That object, in this case, is your body.

You don’t need to channel your inner MacGyver to get yourself back into your vehicle, although it would be great if you did it without damaging your car. What you can do is use your car as a shield, a shelter from the wind.

Put the car in between you and the direction the wind is blowing from. This will give you some respite when it comes to retaining body heat.