What to do when your car breaks down in Melbourne's west

A breakdown is mostly a safety problem for the first five minutes and a logistics problem after that. Getting the first five minutes right makes everything else easier.

1. Get off the traffic lane if you can

If the car is still rolling, use the momentum. Aim for the emergency lane, a side street, a service road or a car park entrance. A vehicle stopped on the shoulder is far safer than one stopped in a live lane, and it usually makes the tow quicker and cheaper too.

2. Hazards on, then get out of the way

Switch the hazard lights on immediately. On a freeway, get out on the passenger side where possible and wait behind the barrier, well away from the vehicle. Never stand between your car and moving traffic, and do not try to push the car on a high-speed road.

3. Work out what actually happened

You do not need a diagnosis, just a description. Did it lose power gradually or cut out instantly? Any warning lights, smoke, steam or noises? Did it happen after refuelling? Any of those details help decide whether it is a roadside fix or a tow.

4. Call with the three things that matter

When you ring a tow operator, have these ready and you will get a real price and a real time on the first call instead of a callback:

• Where you are: a street address, a cross street, or a freeway marker and direction of travel
• Where the car needs to go: your mechanic, your home, a dealership
• What the vehicle is: make, model, whether it rolls and steers, and anything unusual like a low front bar or a modified suspension

5. Prepare the car for loading

Take valuables, house keys and anything you need for the rest of the day out of the car. Have the key ready to hand over if the vehicle is being dropped somewhere you will not be. If it is an EV or a hybrid, mention that when you call.

A quick word on waiting

Ask for a realistic arrival time rather than a best case. Around Caroline Springs and the Brimbank suburbs we generally reach jobs in 30 to 45 minutes, and if that slips you should get a phone call about it. An operator who will not commit to a time is telling you something.