Roadside emergencies happen all of the time, so are you prepared for the unfortunate event when it happens? What do you do when your car breaks down, you are in a minor accident or you get a flat tire? Below, you will learn how to stay safe and reduce your risks of causing accidents and getting injured while dealing with a roadside emergency:

Get Off the Road

You have got to do your best to get your car as far off of the road as possible. If your car can be driven a few feet to the right, do it. This may mean moving the car after a fender-bender or driving on a flat tire, but moving your car off to the right side of the road is the best possible course of action that you can take. This will help reduce the chances of another driver crashing into your disabled car.

Exit the Car Safely

Once you have your vehicle off to the side of the road, exit the car using the passenger's side door. Your goal is to stay as far away from the moving traffic as possible. Although you may be stranded on what seems like an untraveled road, a car can quickly come from nowhere and hit you if you attempt to get out of the car from the driver's side.

Alert Other Drivers

You should always have a roadside emergency kit in your car. This kit must include hazard triangles and hazard flares. If your car is disabled along a straight stretch of road, you simply need to put the hazard triangles out along the road leading up to your car. If the car is disabled in a less visible area or after dark, flares may be needed. When the car is located just over a knoll or beyond a curve in the road, set the flares out before the knoll or curve to alert the oncoming traffic of your vehicle ahead. Other drivers need enough of a warning to slow down and pass your vehicle safely.

Call for a Tow

After you have done all that you can do to stay safe and alert other drivers of the situation, call for a tow. Be prepared by having any towing insurance or auto insurance cards readily available in your glove box. Having to root through a pile of papers at this time can make things more stressful and time consuming than they need to be.

When you call for the tow, do your best to give the towing company your exact location. If you don't have a street address, use the structures and your surroundings to provide the towing service a good idea of your location.

As you wait for the tow, stand behind a guide rail. This is the safest place for you to be as you wait for the tow truck to arrive.