Tips For Dealing With A Car Breakdown Without Cell Service
Posted on: 5 June 2016
Breaking down far from home is nerve-wracking in the best of times, but it can be especially frightening if you are in the middle of nowhere and far from the reach of the nearest cell phone tower. If you are planning a road trip, it's important that you know the following tips so that you can handle this situation safely if it occurs.
Tip #1: Pull off safely
No matter how remote the road, it's a good idea to pull off as far onto the shoulder as possible so that other cars won't hit you. Just make sure that your vehicle is still clearly visible from the road, since you don't want help to pass you by. If it is daytime, turn on your hazard lights. At night, turn on both the interior dome light and the hazards so your car is more visible. If it is safe to do so and if you have cones in your roadside kit, get out of the vehicle and place emergency traffic cones behind your car.
Tip #2: Send a text
Although you may not be able to make a voice call on your phone, a text may manage to get through. Send a text to someone back home that you trust to help. Give the time, your location, and the fact you are broken down and need help. Although it may not go through immediately, the text may eventually get through. Then, your contact back home can use the information to call a tow service in the area where you are broken down.
Tip #3: Stay put
If you are on a highway of any type, you can be reasonably assured that a highway patrolmen or local police officer will drive down it at least once daily. Although it will require patience, staying put is your best option for getting help safely. Hanging a white signal will help notify an officer or passerby that assistance is needed. You can manage this by tying something white to the antenna, or by trapping white fabric or even a white piece of paper between the window and the door frame. If a passerby stops to help, stay in your vehicle and ask them to call a local tow company or the highway patrol for you when they get into town.
Tip #4: Seek help safely
In some rare cases, it may not be safe or reasonable to stay in your car; for example, if you are in an extremely remote or rural area. If you must leave the vehicle, first place a note on the dash with your name, the date and time you left, and your intended destination or which direction you are heading. Do not leave the road for any reason as you walk. Keep an eye out for call boxes. Some areas install special 911 call boxes in remote areas that are known for poor cell service. If you find one of these, return to your vehicle as soon as you are done calling for help. For more information, contact a towing company like Stuckman Salvage, Inc.
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