A roadside breakdown is first a traffic and personal-safety problem, then a mechanical problem. The correct response depends on the roadway, shoulder, traffic, weather, vehicle condition, and instructions from emergency personnel.
Address immediate danger first
Call 911 for a crash, injury, fire, smoke, immediate traffic hazard, or other emergency. Follow law-enforcement and emergency-dispatch instructions. If the vehicle can be moved safely, get as far from active travel lanes as conditions allow; if it cannot, avoid creating a second hazard while trying to repair it.
Use hazard lights when appropriate. Do not stand in a travel lane or work beside fast-moving traffic. The safest place for occupants depends on the roadway, barriers, traffic, weather, and vehicle position, so follow official instructions for the actual scene.
Share a precise location
- Road name and direction of travel
- Nearest exit, mile marker, cross street, landmark, or business
- Shoulder, median, parking lot, ramp, bridge, or travel lane
- Vehicle color, year, make, model, and license plate
- Whether occupants, pets, traffic exposure, smoke, leaking fluid, or weather create added risk
A dropped map pin can help, but read the location back to the dispatcher or service provider. FL511 is Florida's official source for real-time traffic information, including incidents, closures, congestion, and cameras.
Describe what happened before the vehicle stopped
Report warning lights, temperature gauge behavior, loss of power, noise, vibration, steering or brake changes, smoke, odor, impact, tire failure, or fluid loss. Do not restart an overheated, oil-pressure-warning, smoking, leaking-fuel, or mechanically damaged vehicle simply to test it again.
Decide whether mobile work fits the location
A safe parking lot, home, or workplace may support diagnosis and a suitable repair. A narrow shoulder, active lane, unstable ground, severe weather, damaged wheel, collision scene, or job requiring a lift may call for towing instead. Location safety controls the plan even when the mechanical repair might otherwise be mobile.
Keep a Florida-ready vehicle kit
NHTSA recommends a roadside kit that includes communication, first-aid, visibility, tire, basic-tool, water, food, and weather items. Florida's Road-Ready guidance also emphasizes recalls, tires, lights, wipers, fuel, fluids, maps, and access to traffic or highway assistance information.
- Charged phone and vehicle charger
- First-aid kit, flashlight, reflective warning equipment, and gloves
- Drinking water and weather-appropriate supplies
- Tire gauge and the vehicle's correct jack and tools
- Registration, insurance, roadside-assistance information, and a printed emergency contact
Helpful public references
- FLHSMV vehicle safety resources
- FL511 real-time Florida traffic information
- FLHSMV Road-Ready emergency preparedness guide
- FLHSMV Move Over safety information