Breaking down on a motorway - with vehicles hurtling past you at breakneck speed - can be daunting and potentially very dangerous. With limited space around you, safety is paramount for yourself and other road users.
If you've ever broken down on a motorway, it’s easy to feel panicky and unsure of what to do - stay in the car, get out of the car - try to fix it yourself or call immediately for help, even if it’s a small problem.
This article will go through exactly what to do during a motorway breakdown in Ireland, focusing on immediate actions, safety protocols, breakdown cover, essential breakdown kit items, and specific advice for smart motorways.
That sinking feeling on the hard shoulder
You're driving along the motorway when you hear a sudden noise, and the car starts to lose power. You pull over to the hard shoulder, heart pounding, as lorries fly past at 120 km/h. Your mind races: do you stay put or get out?
Remembering the correct procedure, you switch on your hazard lights, exit safely from the passenger side, and move behind the barrier before calling for assistance. Knowing these exact steps can help you feel a sense of control over a stressful situation.
What to Do After a Motorway Breakdown & How to Stay Safe
When it becomes clear there’s something seriously wrong with your car, and you need to pull into the hard shoulder, it’s only normal for a sense of dread to set in. The following steps are critical for safety, so here’s what you should do:
1. Position Your Vehicle
If you can still operate your vehicle, try to position it as far away from the traffic flow as possible. This reduces the risk of collisions with passing vehicles. Hard shoulders aren’t exactly huge, so it’s difficult to move that far from traffic, but at least ensure your car isn’t sticking out into the next lane.
2. Activate Hazard Warning Lights Immediately
Before you even think about opening that door and stepping outside, turn on your hazard warning lights to alert other drivers that your vehicle has an issue. This is very important for visibility, especially in poor weather or at night.
In conditions with reduced visibility, consider using your sidelights alongside hazards to make your vehicle more noticeable. Even during daylight, this can help prevent collisions by making your stationary vehicle more visible.
3. Contact Breakdown Services Using Safe Methods
Use a mobile phone or motorway emergency phone to contact breakdown services. Provide precise location details using motorway markers - if you can - to speed up assistance. The Irish Motorway Emergency Assistance number is 0818-715-100, and they can help road users in difficulty if needed.
Communicate Effectively with Emergency and Recovery Services
It’s common for recovery services to contact you again if they can’t find your position. Sometimes, during the initial panic, it’s not uncommon for people to give incorrect information.
After you exit your vehicle and move away, go over what you said to the emergency or recovery services, and if need be, prepare some more accurate information. Obviously, if you realise you’ve given them some wrong information, contact them again, and they’ll be able to amend the call-out.
Stuck in a live lane?
If you're stuck in a live lane and cannot move your vehicle, stay inside with your seatbelt fastened and call 999 or 112 immediately for emergency services.
Motorway Laws in Ireland
A breakdown on a motorway can feel stressful, so it helps to know the basic rules before you set off. The guidance below focuses on how to stay as safe as possible if your car stops on a busy motorway.
Warning triangles
While placing warning triangles to give drivers ample warning of your car is a great idea, in theory - and certainly something you should do on quieter roads - motorways are deemed too dangerous for you to do, so leave them in the car.
It's worth noting that improper use of the hard shoulder can result in fines and penalty points, so always follow proper safety protocols.
Also, don't start tinkering under the hood. Motorways are fast-moving, potentially hazardous locations, and certainly not somewhere you should be getting your tools out and attempting some DIY.
Hard shoulder safety
We recommend getting everybody out as quickly as possible via the passenger side and moving a safe distance from the motorway - probably over a safety barrier. Stories of vehicles being hit while parked on the hard shoulder are horrific, and if it happens, you don't want to be anywhere near it.
Moving away from the traffic will also provide some much-needed mental relief. Having lorries thunder past you at 120km/h is nerve-wracking, so putting a bit of space between you and the madness will clear your head and help reduce stress and anxiety.
What Essentials Should You Carry Inside a Breakdown Kit?
A well-prepared breakdown kit can be invaluable during a motorway incident.
1. Reflective Triangles and High-Visibility Vests
Reflective triangles should be carried in all cars, but as mentioned earlier, don’t try to put them out on a motorway. High-visibility vests are another kit necessity, which can be put on after breaking down to enhance your visibility to other road users, ensuring your safety while you wait for assistance.
2. Including Basic Repair Tools and a First Aid Kit
Don’t try to repair anything yourself on the hard shoulder of a motorway, but having some basic tools can allow for minor repairs in other circumstances. A first aid kit is essential for addressing immediate medical needs until professional help arrives. It doesn’t need to be anything overly fancy but should include:
- Bandages
- Adhesive tape
- Antibiotic ointment
- Gauze pads
- Basic painkillers
- Aloe Vera-based burn gel/ointment
- Tweezers
3. Carrying a Charged Mobile Phone and Portable Battery
We all know how naked we can suddenly feel when our mobile phone runs out of battery, and never more so when you’re broken down by the side of the road. Having a charged mobile phone and a backup power source ensures you can communicate with emergency services and breakdown assistance even if your car's power is compromised, as well as with family to keep them up to date.
Pre-journey checks to prevent breakdowns
The best way to handle a motorway breakdown is to prevent one from happening in the first place. Simple vehicle checks before starting on a long drive can save you significant stress and potential danger.
Essential Pre-Journey Vehicle Checks
- Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy with these quick checks:
- Tyre Pressure and Tread: Check tyre pressure matches manufacturer recommendations and inspect tread depth to ensure adequate grip.
- Fluid Levels: Verify oil, coolant, and windscreen wash levels are topped up.
- Battery Charge: Especially important for long trips and electric vehicles - ensure your battery is fully charged.
- Lights and Wipers: Test that all headlights, indicators, and wipers function properly.
- NCT Status: Keep your vehicle's NCT up to date to maintain roadworthiness standards. See our NCT checklist for simple pre-test checks you can do at home.
Driver readiness and weather – Fatigue and visibility
Check Met Éireann weather warnings before setting off, especially during winter months when adverse conditions like ice, fog, or heavy rain can make motorway driving more hazardous.
Taking regular breaks every two hours also helps prevent driver fatigue, which can lead to errors in judgement. Remember, a well-maintained vehicle and an alert driver are your first line of defence against breakdowns.
How Breakdown Cover Works in Motorway Incidents
Identifying your breakdown cover options can significantly impact your experience during a motorway breakdown and what happens next.
Different Breakdown Assistance Options
Various breakdown assistance options are available, ranging from basic roadside assistance to comprehensive cover, including towing, alternative transport, and even accommodation.
All of these should be clearly laid out when you agree to a car insurance policy. If they're not, don't sign anything until you know precisely what you'll be covered for.
If you don't have breakdown cover or any kind of roadside assistance, you'll have to pay the cost of the call-out yourself. This often isn't cheap, which makes having at least some sort of coverage an excellent idea.
Breakdown Cover Benefits and Limitations
While breakdown cover can provide peace of mind and essential services during an incident, it's important to know any limitations or exclusions in your policy, such as coverage limits or geographical restrictions. Again, before signing a new policy, find out exactly what you're covered for and what you're not.
Check our breakdown assistance page to see what cover options can include, such as towing, on-the-spot repairs, and emergency overnight accommodation.
Use Emergency Refuge Areas
On traditional motorways, the hard shoulder could be used at any moment in case of emergencies, but smart motorways sometimes use them to speed up traffic flow.
So, instead of a continuous and readily available emergency zone, they use emergency refuge areas to provide safe spots to stop if you encounter trouble on a smart motorway. These are marked and should be used whenever possible.
If you break down on a smart motorway and can’t reach a refuge area, call the Garda or Motorway Emergency Assistance at 0818-715-100 immediately and relay your location. They’ll be able to alert other road users that a vehicle is in trouble in the vicinity.
Follow Motorway Protocols for Safety
While Irish roads are much safer now than ten or twenty years ago, the last few years have seen some fluctuation. Fatalities on Irish roads dropped by 4% in 2024, compared with 2023, with a total of 174 deaths. Many of these occurred well away from motorways, but that figure remains a stark reminder that mistakes happen on the roads and lives can easily be lost.
By adhering to smart motorway rules, such as obeying variable speed limits and lane closures, you can help keep yourself and others around you safe. These protocols are designed to keep traffic flowing safely and aid in swift assistance during breakdowns, and while smart motorways may not be perfect, overall, they are doing their job.
Motorway accident – What to do next?
While this guide focuses primarily on breakdowns, it's important to know what to do if you're involved in a motorway accident, as the response differs in several key ways.
Immediate Steps After a Motorway Accident
If you're involved in an accident on the motorway, prioritise personal safety first:
- Move to Safety: If your vehicle is drivable and it's safe to do so, move it out of the traffic flow.
2. Call Emergency Services: Contact 999 or 112 immediately to report the accident and request assistance. For clear advice on reporting incidents and claims, see
our accident and incident reporting page.
3. Check for Injuries: Assess yourself and any passengers for injuries, but only exit the vehicle if it's safe.
4. Stay Inside When Safer: If moving would put you in danger from passing traffic, remain in your vehicle with seatbelts fastened until help arrives.
5. Exchange Information: When safe, exchange details with other parties involved, including names, contact information, and insurance details.
Cooperating with Authorities
When emergency services arrive, cooperate fully and provide accurate information about the accident. Remember, unlike a simple breakdown, accidents may require police reports and insurance claims processing. Knowing these steps helps you stay prepared for any motorway emergency, not just mechanical failures.
What to do after your vehicle was towed?
Once your vehicle has been recovered, it's wise to get a full diagnostic check to identify the root cause of the breakdown. This is particularly important if you experienced issues like a dead battery, as the problem may lie with your alternator or charging system.
Taking your car for proper servicing after a breakdown helps prevent similar incidents in the future and ensures your vehicle remains roadworthy for your next journey.
Enjoy Roadside Assistance with 123.ie
Experiencing a breakdown on a motorway requires prompt and safe action to ensure your safety and the safety of other road users. Remember, the priority is always personal safety; material damage can usually be replaced or fixed, for humans, it’s not so easy.
If your car breaks down on the motorway, you’ll be glad you invested in comprehensive car insurance with 123.ie. We offer 24/7 breakdown coverage anywhere in Ireland, which includes either towing or on-the-spot repairs, along with emergency overnight accommodation if required. Breakdowns happen, but having a quality insurance provider behind you can make all the difference in what happens next.
