preparing for roadside emergencies in advance

Need To Have A Car Towed At Night? Follow These Tips

Having your car break down on the road at night may be one of your worst nightmares. But if it happens to you, all you can really do is handle the situation as well as you can. Check out the following tips, and keep them in the back of your mind should you ever find yourself in need of towing late at night.

Pull off the road, if possible.

If you can get your car off to the side of the road, this should be the first thing you do. If the car will not drive at all, you can try putting it in neutral and pushing it. This works best, of course, if you have at least one helper who can sit in the car and guide the steering wheel while you push. However, if you only need to move the car a short distance, you can often do it yourself by opening the driver's side door and pushing on the frame just inside the door. This position allows you to reach in and adjust the wheel periodically as you push the car.

Call a 24-hour towing service.

Some towing services are not open 24 hours, so if you call them and leave a message, they won't get back to you until morning. Look specifically for a towing company that offers 24-hour services, and give them a call. Provide your location as precisely as possible. If you're able to send them your location via your smartphone, that's usually easiest. Otherwise, reference mile markers on the side of the highway and landmarks such as certain businesses or intersections.

Don't wait by the road.

Once the towing service is on its way, you need to find a safe place to wait for them. The worst place to stand is on the side of the road. Passersby may not be able to see you. If there is a business nearby that's open, you can try waiting inside. If that is not an option, then your best bet is usually to wait inside your car. Turn the lights on if they work. Most motorists will see your car and are far less likely to hit it than to hit an unprotected human.

With the tips above, you can stay safer and get help if you're ever stranded on the side of the road. It doesn't hurt to have the number of a 24/7 emergency car towing service on-hand for situations like this.


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