If you breakdown on the road

[chopc]

If you have a breakdown, far away from home , and you are a woman on your own, what would most people do? Would you be more scared waiting for AA?

Why?

More scared than what?

I would phone whichever breakdown service I was with and wait for them.

I would call the breakdown company. I wouldn't be scared. Its just very boring waiting.

I would only be scared if I broke down on a smart motorway, but I would never drive on one because of that reason.

Why would you be scared to wait for the AA?

It depends for me what I'd do.
I had RAC when I drove, so I'd call them first. If I was in a motorway, I'd likely use one of the little orange boxes to alert Motorway to situation.
If I was on a country road, I'd likely pull off as far as I could, turn engine and lights off and sit on the back seat whilst I wait for RAC. If it was a warm day / evening, I'd find a field near by or some thing to sit in.
So it depends.

Not particularly. I don’t know where I’d find statistics, but I can’t really see me being at more risk than my husband in that situation.

What would I do? Depends on where, when, what’s happened. Probably phone the rescue service then be very bored for a few hours. Get out of the car and away from it if on a fast road.

Potentially ring my husband or parents for help, if I had my kids with me I’d definitely ring round to see if someone could come and get them.

What's the alternative to waiting that you're referring to?

Regardless of the other option, I wouldn't be scared to wait for the breakdown van to arrive. I've done it, it's boring but not scary.

I've been on the side of the motorway before, husband abroad so no help. Luckily morning. It took a while but wasn't too bad. I've read awful things about RAC in particular.

I do need to remember to put a breakdown kit in my car - blankets, phone charger, etc.

Scared of what?

If you are on a motorway, you grab your phone and evacuate you & any passengers to well up the bank of the hard shoulder.

If on another road, you activate your hazard lights. If you have a breakdown triangle and are on a bend, you put the triangle further back on the road to warn other users.

If you are nervous, you sit in the front passenger seat, implying that your (male) driver has gone for help & will be back shortly.

And you call the breakdown service.

Good idea.

remember to include

a decent torch
high viz tabards for yourself and anyone else who you regularly travel with.
warning triangle

Never sit in your car unless you are parked in a layby, always make sure everyone is out of the car, someone going into the back of a parked/ broken down car turns a breakdown into a disaster.

This happened to my 78 year old mum yesterday. She was accompanied by another elderly lady. It was dark. AA was going to take three hours. And both were scared about being stuck in a lonely road (as mum
Now avoids motorways)

I am glad so to hear there is nothing scary about it. But she was scared.

Luckily my BIL drove to her (she left my sister's house) and waited with them for AA , drove their car home (as it was now dark and mum doesn't drive in the dark). It was a new car but she had hit something so developed a flat. And no, i would not expect my 78 year old mum to change a tyre in the cold and wet

No not really. What else are you supposed to do?! My sister before also has broken down and they have checked with her if she is safe place / any vulnerabilities etc. as well to prioritise response.

*Would you be more scared waiting for AA?

Than?

@Shinyandnew1 if you were a woman broken down in a remote area on your own than if you were a man broken down in the same circumstances. I think yes but was wondering if the fear was rational.

And i was hoping to brainstorm ideas of what could be done. One of my friends suggested taking a taxi to nearest town and asking to meet rescue people there, then go back to car with them