Your car breaking down can be a stressful time, especially if you’re quite far from home.
Use our guide to prepare yourself for a car breakdown and learn what to do if you break down on the road, motorway or at home.
What causes car breakdowns?
A broken-down car can be caused by many different things, with some of the most common causes being:
- punctured tyres
- electrical issues
- a dead battery
- running out of fuel
- steering and suspension issues
You can find out more about breakdown causes in our handy guide.
What to do if your car breaks down on the road
Follow the steps below to keep yourself safe and get assistance when your car breaks down.
Turn on your hazards
The first step is to turn on your hazard warning lights to tell other drivers that you’ve broken down.
Stay safe
The next thing to do is to keep yourself safe.
Get out of your car on the side that isn’t facing the road (usually the passenger side).
Everyone in the car should get out, except for pets. Keep them in the car if possible until you have another kind of transport available.
Use your breakdown kit
If you have a breakdown kit, make sure you use it.
Put your hi-vis vest on and place your warning triangle about 45 metres (or 60 paces) from the back of your car if it’s safe to do so.
Stand back
Before you call for recovery, make sure you and other passengers are stood in a safe place.
The pavement is always a good option, but if there isn’t one, stand well behind the road barrier or road marking.
Call for assistance
If you have comprehensive car insurance with us, our Platinum policy offers roadside assistance (so long as you’re more than a quarter of a mile from your home). We offer recovery to a garage or alternative destination within 10 miles of the breakdown site.
Check out our breakdown cover page to learn more about what we offer and any limits or exclusions.
You can arrange roadside assistance via the Admiral app or by calling 0330 102 0804.
Keep in mind that breakdown cover cannot be added to your policy if your car is already broken down.
EV breakdown tips
You should follow all the same steps listed above if your electric vehicle breaks down.
If you have comprehensive EV insurance with us, breakdown cover comes as standard on Platinum policies and can be added to all other cover levels. We also offer out of charge recovery as standard on all levels of comprehensive EV cover. Note that this doesn’t apply to hybrid vehicles.
Check out our EV insurance page to learn more about what we offer and any policy limits or exclusions.
Our Platinum level of cover offers roadside assistance (as long as you're more than a quarter of a mile from your home). It also offers recovery to a garage or alternative destination within 10 miles of the breakdown site.
You can arrange roadside assistance via the Admiral app or call 0330 102 0804.
What to do if your car breaks down on a motorway
Breaking down on a motorway can be scary but is quite common, so don’t panic. Follow the steps below if your car breaks down on a motorway.
Exit your vehicle
Put your hazard warning lights on and get out of your vehicle through the passenger-side door, as that’ll be the side facing away from the road. Put your high-vis vest on if you have one.
It’s safest to stand behind the safety barrier. If there isn’t one, you should still try and stand far back from the motorway to keep yourself safe from passing traffic.
Call for assistance
Now you’re in a safe spot, you can call for assistance.
If you don’t have your phone or don’t have signal, there may be an orange emergency roadside telephone (ERT) nearby. Blue signs with an SOS telephone symbol indicate that there is an ERT nearby. Make sure you stay behind the safety barrier when walking to an ERT.
If you have comprehensive car insurance with us, our Platinum policy offers roadside assistance (so long as you’re more than a quarter of a mile from your home). We offer recovery to a garage or alternative destination within 10 miles of the breakdown site.
Check out our breakdown cover page to learn more about what we offer and any limits or exclusions.
You can arrange roadside assistance via the Admiral app or by calling 0330 102 0804.
Keep in mind that breakdown cover cannot be added to your policy if your car is already broken down.
What to do if your car breaks down at home
If your car breaks down at home, you may still need someone to come out and take a look at the problem.
You can call your breakdown service if this happens, but keep in mind that you might be charged extra if you don’t have at-home breakdown assistance added to your cover already.
For example, if you have Roadside Assistance cover with us, you won’t be covered for at-home assistance as standard.
If you have National or European cover with us, at-home breakdowns are included as standard. Head to our breakdown cover page to learn more about what we offer and any policy limits and exclusions.
