The first five minutes after your car breaks down determine whether you stay safe — and whether the technician who shows up can actually find and help you quickly. What you do in those five minutes changes depending on where you are: a highway shoulder, a side street, or a parking lot each call for a slightly different approach. Here’s exactly what to do, in order, for each.

1. Get off the traffic line, not just onto the shoulder

If you’re on a highway like I-480 or I-90, a full shoulder isn’t always safe — get as far right (or left, on a left shoulder) as the road allows, ideally past the rumble strips. If you can safely reach an exit or a lot on momentum alone, do that instead of stopping on the shoulder at all. A gas station or plaza just past your exit is a far safer place to be stranded than the shoulder itself.

On a side street, pull as close to the curb as possible, ideally somewhere you’re not blocking a driveway, intersection, or bike lane. In a parking lot, you have the luxury of picking your spot — choose somewhere well-lit and visible rather than a dark corner, even if it means a slightly longer walk back to a store or building.

2. Hazards on, then assess

Hazard lights first, every time — even before you fully stop if it’s safe to keep rolling those last few yards. Then take stock: are you somewhere reasonably safe, or exposed to live traffic? This assessment takes ten seconds and determines almost everything else you do next.

3. Stay in the vehicle if you’re near moving traffic

It feels counterintuitive, but a seatbelt and a steel frame around you is safer than standing on a narrow shoulder while cars pass at 70 mph. Highway shoulders are struck by errant vehicles more often than most drivers realize — distracted driving, poor visibility, and ice all play a role. Exit the vehicle only if it’s at real risk (fire, smoke) or you’re safely off the roadway entirely, like in a lot or on a wide side street away from the travel lane.

If you do need to exit on a highway, exit from the passenger side away from traffic, and move well clear of the vehicle and the road itself — behind a guardrail if one is present.

4. Call — and be specific about location

The single biggest delay in roadside response isn’t drive time, it’s location confusion. Give cross streets, a highway name and direction plus the nearest mile marker or exit number, or drop a pin in your maps app and read out the address. Mentioning a visible landmark — a specific business, an overpass, a mile marker sign — cuts real minutes off dispatch time. See our complete roadside assistance guide for everything else to have ready when you call.

5. Make yourself visible after dark

If it’s night and you have flares or reflective triangles, use them — placed well behind the vehicle in the direction traffic is coming from, especially on a highway shoulder. If you don’t have flares, staying inside with hazards on and the interior light off (so you’re not blinding yourself and losing your night vision) is the next-best option until help arrives.

Highway shoulder vs. side street vs. parking lot

Highway shoulder

Highest-risk location. Prioritize getting fully clear of the travel lane, staying belted inside the vehicle, and giving dispatch a precise mile marker or exit number. Don’t attempt any repair yourself here — wait for help in a safe position.

Side street

Lower risk, but still get fully off the roadway if possible. A quiet residential street is generally safe to exit the vehicle and wait outside if weather allows — just stay visible and aware of any traffic.

Parking lot

Lowest risk location-wise, but consider personal safety, especially after dark or if the lot is empty. Move to a well-lit, visible spot near an entrance if you can do so safely.

What NOT to do

  • Don’t stand behind or beside the vehicle facing away from traffic
  • Don’t attempt a tire change on a live highway shoulder without real separation from traffic — see our highway flat tire safety guide
  • Don’t accept help from an unmarked vehicle that stops unprompted — politely wave them on and wait for who you called
  • Don’t leave the vehicle unattended on a highway shoulder to go looking for help — stay put and call instead

Quick FAQ

Should I turn my wheels a certain way while waiting?

If you’re on any kind of incline or slope, turning your wheels away from the road can help prevent rolling if the vehicle isn’t fully secured — a minor detail, but worth doing out of habit.

Is it safe to run the engine while I wait?

Generally yes if the issue isn’t engine-related (a flat tire, a lockouts/">lockout) — it keeps you warm or cool and your hazards powered. If the car won’t start at all, obviously this isn’t an option, so keep a charged phone as your priority.

How do I know if I should call for a tow instead of roadside help?

If there’s been a collision, visible fluid leaking heavily, smoke, or a grinding/burning smell, a tow is the safer call. Otherwise — flat tire, dead battery, lockout, empty tank — roadside assistance is built exactly for this.

Whatever the specific problem — flat tire, dead battery, or lockout — the safety steps above come first, every time.