What to Do If You Break Down on the Motorway

What should you do if you break down on the motorway?

Get off the motorway if the car will still move. Take the next exit or pull into a service area. If it won't get that far, the Highway Code gives you three steps: go left, get safe, get help.

Here's the whole sequence.

• Warning light or odd noise? Leave at the next exit or service area if you can.
• Can't? Move into the left lane and pull into an emergency area or onto the hard shoulder.
• Stop as far left as you can, wheels turned left, hazard lights on.
• Get out on the side away from traffic, with your passengers, and get behind the barrier.
• Call for help from behind the barrier. Never go back to the car.
• Can't get to the left, or can't get out safely? Stay in the car, belts on, hazards on, and call 999 for the police.

That last line matters most. Everything here comes from the Highway Code's breakdown rules, rules 275 to 280, and from National Highways' own advice.

Some of this is law and some is advice. The Code marks the law with MUST, and I've kept that split throughout. This guide sits with our other car ownership guides.

First choice: don't stop on the motorway at all

A motorway is the worst place to be stationary. So both the Highway Code and National Highways tell you to get off it first.

Rule 277 opens with it. If your vehicle develops a problem, leave at the next exit or pull into a service area if possible. National Highways adds a trigger: a red or amber warning light on the dashboard counts as a problem. Don't wait to see if it clears.

Rule 275 ranks the places you can stop. The safest is somewhere designed for parking, which on a motorway means a service area. After that come lay-bys, emergency areas and hard shoulders. The Code says hard shoulders give less protection than the others because they're so close to fast traffic.

So if the car is limping but still moving, a junction a mile ahead beats the hard shoulder now. Use your judgement. My rule of thumb: if it's lost power or a tyre is coming apart, don't try for the next junction. Pushing on risks stopping in a live lane.

Step one: go left

If you can't make an exit, rule 277 tells you to go left. That means:

• move into the left lane
• pull into an emergency area or onto a hard shoulder if you can
• stop as far to the left as possible, leaving room to get out, with your wheels turned to the left
• if you can, stop just beyond an emergency telephone
• switch your hazard warning lights on
• use sidelights if it's dark or visibility is poor

Traffic Scotland's advice is to turn your front wheels to the left, away from live traffic.

Stopping just past the phone means a short walk back to it, facing the oncoming traffic.

Step two: get safe

Once you've stopped, get out and away from the car. Rule 277 says to leave by the side furthest from traffic, if it's safe and possible, and make sure your passengers do the same.

Then:

• put on high-visibility clothing if you have it and it's within easy reach
• get behind a safety barrier where there's one, but watch for sudden drops, uneven ground or debris
• stay alert for vehicles or debris coming towards you
• keep passengers away from the carriageway and children under control

The Code gives four DO NOTs in capitals:

• don't stand where your car could be pushed into you if it's hit
• don't go back to the car, even if it's raining, cold or dark
• don't attempt repairs
• don't put a warning triangle on the carriageway

That last one trips people up. Rule 276 tells you to use a triangle on an ordinary road, at least 45 metres behind the car. The same rule says never to use one on a motorway. So a triangle in the boot is good winter kit and useless here.

"Don't attempt repairs" covers changing a wheel. The Code gives no exception for a puncture. Call for help and leave the wheel to the recovery service.

Animals are the one piece of law in this step. Rule 277 says they MUST be kept in the vehicle or, in an emergency, under control on the verge. Everything else above is advice, written as "should".

If you can't get out

Rule 277 puts this case in the middle of its list, and it's short.

Say you can't get the car to the left lane or a place of relative safety. Or you can get there but can't get out safely and well away from it. Then the Code says you should:

• stay in your vehicle
• keep your seat belts and hazard warning lights on
• call 999 immediately and ask for the police, or press your SOS button if your vehicle has one and ask for the police

National Highways explains what happens next. The emergency services can alert them, and they can close motorway lanes and send help, such as a traffic officer.

So don't sit in a live lane ringing a breakdown firm. The first call is 999. The emergency services can alert National Highways, which can close the lane.

Step three: get help

From behind the barrier, rule 277 gives you two routes. Use the free emergency telephone to get advice and assistance, or contact a breakdown recovery service. Face the traffic while you speak, so you can see anything coming.

If you've stopped near a phone, use it. In England it connects to National Highways' regional operations centres.

On a mobile, National Highways' number in England is 0300 123 5000. Then ring your breakdown provider, if you have one.

Tell whoever you speak to two things. First, where you are. Second, whether you're what the Code calls a vulnerable motorist.

Its examples are being disabled, older or travelling alone. Say so plainly.

How to say where you are

Rule 277 lists three ways to give your location:

• eCall: press the SOS button if your vehicle has one, and it sends your position itself
• a mapping app on your phone
• marker posts or driver location signs: quote the numbers and letters on them

Both sit along the edge of the road. Read out the numbers and letters exactly as they appear.

If you can't get out, or you haven't stopped near an emergency phone, the Code's instruction is the same as above. Call 999 and ask for the police.

Which button do you press: SOS, eCall or bCall?

Most cars built since 2018 have an SOS button. National Highways has a page on eCall that explains it well.

Since April 2018 most new cars and vans have an emergency call system, called eCall. It fires automatically if the airbags go off. You can also press the SOS button yourself.

Either way, it calls a 999 operator and sends your exact location and direction of travel. You don't need a mobile phone for it to work.

There's a strict rule on when to use it. National Highways says eCall must only be used in an emergency that needs the police, fire service or an ambulance. Don't press it if all you need is breakdown recovery or roadside assistance.

So the split is this. Broken down and stopped somewhere safe? Use a phone, or the bCall button if your car has one.

Stopped in a live lane and in danger? Press SOS, keep your belt on, and tell the operator you can't get out safely.

bCall is the breakdown button. National Highways says some vehicles have one, and it connects you to your breakdown service. It usually needs setting up in the car's menus first so it points at your current provider. Check the handbook before you need it, not on the hard shoulder.

The button is usually in the roof console by the mirror, behind a small flap, or on the centre console. If it doesn't work when you press it, use your phone and dial 999. Older cars have no button at all, so don't assume yours does.

Hard shoulder, emergency area, live lane: what does the law say?

Several Highway Code rules carry MUST here, which means there's law behind them. They apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

The hard shoulder

Rule 269: you MUST NOT use a hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to by the police, traffic officers or a traffic sign. National Highways describes it as the far-left lane, separated from the live lanes by a solid white line.

What counts as an emergency? For England and Wales the answer is in regulation 7 of the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982. It lists the reasons a vehicle may stop on a motorway at all:

• a breakdown or mechanical defect, or lack of fuel, oil or water the vehicle needs
• an accident, illness or other emergency
• to let someone recover or move an object that's fallen onto the motorway
• to let someone help another person in any of those situations

In those cases the vehicle must be moved off the carriageway onto the hard shoulder as soon as it reasonably can be. It may then stay there, but no longer than is necessary. Regulation 9 bans driving or stopping on the hard shoulder for any other reason.

So yes, running out of fuel is a lawful reason to stop on the hard shoulder. The regulation lists it by name. Whether it's an offence in its own right is a separate question these regulations don't answer, so I won't claim either way.

What the regulations don't do is excuse a stop for a phone call, a toilet break or a look at the map. Rule 271 says you MUST NOT stop on any carriageway, emergency area, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in an emergency, or when told to. It adds that you shouldn't stop to make or take mobile calls either, except in an emergency.

What misuse costs

National Highways says the police may send a warning letter, or issue a fine and penalty points, which are endorsements recorded on your driving licence. It gives no amount, and I haven't found one in a primary source, so I'm not going to quote one.

Emergency areas

Rule 270: emergency areas MUST only be used in an emergency. Rule 278 adds the rule people miss. To leave an emergency area you MUST use the emergency telephone provided and follow the operator's advice. A lane may need to be closed so you can rejoin safely.

National Highways puts it bluntly: do not exit an emergency area without speaking to them first. They can set signs to warn traffic, and close the lane if needed.

Smart motorways and the Red X

Some motorways in England have no hard shoulder, or open it as a lane at busy times. National Highways calls the first all-lane running and the second a dynamic hard shoulder. On a dynamic hard shoulder, rule 269 says you can only use it as a lane when a speed limit is shown above it. A red X or a blank sign means it's for emergencies only.

Rule 258 covers the red X itself. It marks a closed lane in which people, stopped vehicles or other hazards are present. You MUST follow the signs to move to an open lane and MUST NOT drive in the closed one.

National Highways says a driver caught in a red X lane could receive a fixed penalty of up to £100 and three points. In some cases, it says, there can be more severe penalties or a court appearance.

That red X is also what protects you after a breakdown. National Highways says every all-lane-running section has radar-based stopped vehicle detection, which alerts a control room operator. The operator can see you on camera, close the lane over you and send a traffic officer. It's a detection system, not a promise about how fast help arrives, so don't treat it as one.

How do you get back on the motorway?

Rule 278 gives a different answer for each place you stopped.

From a hard shoulder, build up speed, indicate, and watch for a safe gap in the traffic. The rule warns that vehicles, obstructions or debris may be on the hard shoulder ahead of you, so look forward as well as back.

From an emergency area, you MUST use the emergency phone and follow the operator's advice. That's law, not a tip. An emergency area can open straight into a live lane, so National Highways may need to set signs or close the lane before you can pull out.

If a recovery truck has taken you off, this isn't your problem. If you've fixed a minor fault yourself, which the Code tells you not to do on the motorway anyway, it is.

What if you're disabled, older or travelling alone?

The Code has a rule for this. Rule 279 applies if a disability stops you following the advice in rules 277 and 278. It says you should switch on your hazard lights and stay in the vehicle with your seat belt on. Then call 999 and ask for the police, or press the SOS button if your vehicle has one.

If you're deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, the same rule recommends registering for the 999 text service at emergencySMS.net before you travel. You register by texting 'register' to 999 and replying to the message you get back. You'll need to do it again if you change your mobile number. Do it now rather than at the roadside.

National Highways adds its own routes in England. If you have a hearing, speech or physical impairment, you can text 0738 028 3600 for roadside assistance. British Sign Language users can reach its contact centre through an online interpreting service, which the accessible services page names as Convo. National Highways' motorway advice page still calls it SignLive, and says the text service and the BSL service are both available 24 hours a day.

There's also a free Hidden Disabilities Sunflower for your vehicle. It tells traffic officers and emergency services that someone in the car has a non-visible disability and may need extra support. National Highways offers it for motorways and major A-roads in England, and you order it from the Hidden Disabilities Store.

And whatever your situation, tell the operator if you're what the Code calls a vulnerable motorist. The Code's examples are disabled, older or travelling alone. It isn't a label to be shy about.

Is it different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

Partly. The Highway Code above covers England, Scotland and Wales. The smart motorway kit, the National Highways number and its text and Sunflower services are English. Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code.

Scotland

The law is near-identical. Regulation 6 of the Motorways Traffic (Scotland) Regulations 1995 lists the same permitted reasons to stop. Breakdown, mechanical defect, lack of fuel, oil or water, accident, illness, other emergency, a fallen object, or helping someone in those situations. It then sends you to the hard shoulder or an emergency layby, which is the Scottish term.

Transport Scotland has said in a 2025 freedom of information response that smart motorways with the hard shoulder opened to all traffic aren't used in Scotland. Parts of the M8, M9 and M90 do have actively managed hard shoulders under separate regulations, so don't read that as "Scotland has no hard-shoulder running at all".

Who do you call? Traffic Scotland's emergency advice page says an emergency roadside telephone connects you to Traffic Scotland. If there isn't one nearby, contact your breakdown provider first. Its Customer Care Line is 0800 028 1414, 24 hours.

It says to call 999 immediately if any of these apply:

• you've broken down in a live lane and can't reach an emergency area or place of safety
• anyone in the car is in immediate danger
• someone has a life-threatening medical emergency

Wales

The Highway Code rules and the 1982 regulations both apply in Wales. The regulations' hard shoulder rule has a separate Welsh version that doesn't mention emergency refuge areas. They were added to the English version in 2015 by an amendment made for England only.

Traffic Wales is the traffic information service for motorways and trunk roads in Wales, linked to the Welsh Government's traffic management centres. Its contact page gives 0300 123 1213 for urgent issues such as incidents and hazards, and says to call 999 in an emergency. I couldn't find a Welsh page setting out breakdown steps in the way National Highways and Traffic Scotland do, so follow the Highway Code sequence above.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland publishes its own Highway Code on nidirect, and its breakdown rules still use the older wording. The numbers are different too: the motorway breakdown rule is 275 there, not 277.

The sequence is close but not the same. Leave at the next exit or service area if you can. Otherwise pull onto the hard shoulder as far left as possible, wheels turned left, and try to stop near an emergency telephone. The NI Code says the phones sit at roughly one-mile intervals along the hard shoulder.

Then leave by the left-hand door, never place a warning triangle on a motorway, and don't attempt even simple repairs. Walk to an emergency telephone, which the NI Code says connects directly to the police, and use it in preference to a mobile. Tell the police if you're a vulnerable motorist.

If you can't reach the hard shoulder, NI's rule 277 says to switch on your hazards and leave the vehicle only when you can safely get clear of the carriageway. Its rule for drivers with disabilities mentions displaying a "Help" pennant or contacting the emergency services. The NI breakdown rules don't mention emergency areas or an SOS button.

The law behind it is the Motorways Traffic Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008. Regulation 6 lists the same permitted reasons to stop as the GB regulations. They are breakdown, mechanical defect, lack of fuel, oil or water, accident, illness, other emergency, a fallen object, or helping someone in those situations. You then have to move onto the hard shoulder as soon as you reasonably can.

What should you keep in the car?

None of this is law. National Highways suggests keeping warm clothes, a hi-vis jacket, a torch and your breakdown cover details in the car if you can. Before a long journey, add any medication you need, a charged phone, and food and water.

The Highway Code's own line on hi-vis is softer still. Put it on if you have it and it's within easy reach. Nobody is asking you to dig through the boot on a hard shoulder.

Our winter preparation guide covers the fuller kit list, including the warning triangle you'll use on an ordinary road and never on a motorway. And if you want to know what tends to fail and when, common faults by age has the survey data.

One more thing before a motorway trip. If you're learning, you can only be on a motorway with an approved instructor in a dual-control car. Our guide to what you can drive on a provisional licence has the detail, including the Northern Ireland change.

Should you stop to help someone else?

No, says National Highways. Don't stop to assist another vehicle that has broken down or been involved in a collision. You may want to help, but it's safer to ring National Highways on 0300 123 5000, or 999 if there's an immediate risk to life.

That's their advice for their roads, not a law. The Highway Code's rule 283 talks about what to do if you stop to give assistance at an incident, and it's written for all roads. On a motorway, I'd follow National Highways and make the call.

What you can do from your own car is make room. Rule 264 covers people and vehicles stopped on the hard shoulder or in an emergency area. If you're in the left lane and it's safe, you should move into the next lane to give them more space. The same applies to emergency services, traffic officers and recovery workers.

If something falls from a vehicle, rule 280 says not to remove it yourself on a motorway. Stop in a place of relative safety and call 999. The 1982 regulations do allow a stop to recover a fallen object, so it's lawful. The Code's advice is still don't.

If you've been in a collision rather than a breakdown, the duties are different and come from a different law. Our guide to what to do after a car accident covers stopping, swapping details and telling the police.

If a breakdown has you looking at another car, our free car check shows a car's MOT record and a running-costs estimate from the number plate.

Common questions