Procedures for roadside breakdowns

So you have followed all the tips, and your car still has a major mechanical malfunction while being driven down the highway. “What do I do now?” you may ask.

Number one, don’t panic. Then, find a safe place to pull over well away from lanes of traffic, Beno said.

Once fully stopped, “you should stay inside the vehicle and you should call” a roadside assistance company for help, she said, adding there are many phone apps that link users with companies that can respond to situations on the side of the road.

“You should stay in the vehicle, because with all that traffic that is rushing by you, you are actually safer in the vehicle than standing outside, from a traffic safety perspective,” Beno said.

But, “what if the engine is out of commission and the air-conditioning doesn’t work and it is hot enough to fry an egg on the asphalt?” you may ask.

“If you are in the vehicle you are at least out of the sun so that you are not in direct sun,” Beno said, adding that all windows should be rolled down.

“If you stay inside the car with the windows rolled up, the temperature is just going to increase, and it is going to increase quickly, [becoming] life threatening,” she said, especially for the elderly, children and pets.

Again, such situations can be mitigated by advanced planning, Beno said.

“You should keep an emergency kit in your car, and you should try to have some basic emergency supplies,” she said. “You should definitely bring some water with you for every member of the family,” about a gallon each of fresh drinking water.

For more hot weather driving tips, visit https:// www.calif.aaa.com/automotive/advocacy/summer-car-care.html.