Rex Towing is ready to come out and help if you have a breakdown in the McHenry area. But, you should still know what to do if your car, truck or SUV breaks down.

If you maintain your car, truck or SUV, it’s far less likely to happen to you. Instead, you’ll see other people with their hoods up sitting on the side of the road. But, even if you take good care of your vehicle, it’s possible that something could break. You could find yourself on the side of the road with a car, truck or SUV that has broken down.

A vehicle that breaks down doesn’t always do so where it’s convenient. If your car does break down, if you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself on a side street where the speed limit is 25 and the traffic is light. But, it’s at least as likely, and probably more so, that you’ll break down where the speed is considerably higher and the traffic much heavier.

It’s important to know what to do if your car, truck or SUV breakdown

The first thing to do, if your vehicle breaks down is to pull off the road. Pull completely off the road, if possible.

• Turn on your flashers. Those flashers will let traffic know that you’ve got a problem while alerting drivers to your presence. This is especially important in an age when some folks try to combine driving with texting; hopefully, the flashing lights will catch their attention.
• Assess your problem. You may be able to do this without getting out of the car. If you do have to get out of the car, truck or SUV, be very conscious of traffic and make sure that you’re safe while moving about the vehicle.
• Note your location as precisely as possible. If you need to call for roadside assistance, the better you can describe your location the easier it is for someone sent out to help to find you. It will help if you have roadside assistance with your auto insurance or otherwise have a plan that ensures someone will come when you need help.
• If you’ve had an accident, call 9-1-1 and calmly provide them with as much pertinent information as possible.

These are the things to do if your car, truck or SUV breaks down. But, you should also prepare for the possibility. Beyond have a roadside assistance program, you should have a charger for your cell phone, a blanket, water and, possibly, a snack. Make sure you have a good spare tire in the vehicle and a good jack to raise the car, truck or SUV if you need to change a tire.

Of course, the best thing you can do is to properly maintain your vehicle so that you don’t have to worry so much about breaking down someday.