What to do if your car is broken down on the side of the road

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - If your car breaks down on the side of the road, and you can’t get a tow, what do you do?

The first and most important thing you can do is try to get a tow. If you can’t do that right away, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office has some tips on what you can do to keep your car safe while it’s on the side of the road.

The first thing, according to Paige Rippee, Public Information Officer for Greene County Sheriff’s Office, is to move it off to the side of the road. If you leave it in the roadway or blocking traffic, authorities will have it towed.

“If it is impeding traffic or in the roadway at some point, it’s going to get towed,” said Rippee.

Next thing you should do is lock the car and take all your valuables with you. Thieves will often try and steal cars or valuables left in cars on the side of the road.

“Lock your vehicle. Same thing as if you’re home in your driveway, you’re going to a park to walk a trailhead, lock your vehicle, and don’t leave valuables in it, because we do have cases where people break into cars that are on the side of the road and steal cars that are on the side of the road,” said Rippee.

Finally, give local authorities a call. Let them know where your vehicle is, so they know it belongs to someone, and it’s not stolen. You can even leave a note with your name and phone number on the vehicle.

“Call us, let us know, hey, my car’s out of gas, I’ve broken down. I am at this mile marker or this intersection. This is what my vehicle looks like. I am the owner, I went to get gas, or I went to get help, but I will be back,” said Rippee.

If you see a car abandoned on the side of the road, you can call 911 to report it. If it has a neon sticker on it, it’s likely already been reported, and police have checked it out.

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