How to behave in the event of a vehicle was breakdown on the road? If possible, push the car onto the roadside or sidewalk. Car breakdown – put on a safety vest. First, we must take care of our safety. After immobilizing the vehicle, we should turn on emergency lights. The next step should be to put on a reflective vest – every driver, although there is no legal obligation in Poland, should have it in the car.
Ideally, there would be vests for all passengers in the car. Remember to keep the vest in the cabin, not in the hard-to-reach trunk. The cost of buying a vest is small and its impact on safety is huge. After sunset, the lack of reflections means that we are visible to the driver of the oncoming vehicle only when there are 20 meters ahead – reflections increase this distance to 130 meters. This huge difference gives the driver time for the right response. In addition, please note that reflective vests in most European countries are already mandatory vehicle equipment.
Wearing a high visibility vest, driver, and passengers should safely leave the vehicle. Being in a vehicle exposes us to additional risk. Many people die in vehicles that are inactivated by a breakdown. Speed, wrong marking of a broken vehicle, difficult road conditions means that drivers enter a broken car.
“When leaving the vehicle, pay special attention to children. Let us get them out of the right side and hide immediately on the roadside behind safety barriers or in a zone where there is no risk of driving another vehicle, “instructor Auto School. The vehicle in addition to the hazard lights should be marked with a warning triangle. Every car must be equipped with it. His lack is not only a sign of carelessness for his safety, but also the risk of receiving a fine of 50 to 200 PLN.
By marking the vehicle with a triangle, we should have in our head the provisions of the road code. If you are on a highway or expressway, the triangle should be set 100 meters from the vehicle. The triangle should be on the roadway or shoulder. Outside the built-up area, the triangle is set at a distance of 30-50 meters from the vehicle, and in the built-up area – just behind the vehicle or on the vehicle at a height not higher than one meter.
Our life and health do not have a price. The car’s equipment with reflective vests, learning the rules of conduct in the event of a failure is a small effort if we put our safety at the stake.