Roadside breakdown or accident? We explain what to do

Around 51% of people’s journeys worldwide are made by car, a percentage that ranges from 92% in cities across the United States and Canada to between 50% and 75% in municipalities in Northern and Southern Europe, according to a study conducted by the Austrian research center Complexity Science Hub and published in the journal Environment International.

Without being able to provide an exact figure, this large volume of movement may be accompanied by a high number of roadside assistance services. In situations like this, not all of us react equally. In times of nervousness, we sometimes make inappropriate decisions or behave incorrectly due to pure ignorance. So that you don’t get caught unprepared, if something happens to you during your journey, take note of the tips below.

Nobody expects it to happen, but the truth is that throughout their lives almost all drivers end up experiencing some mishap with their vehicle. The most frequent are engine and battery problems, as well as tire blowouts and punctures. In fact, most roadside assistance interventions are performed due to breakdown. In these cases:

• Don’t panic. Find a safe place to stop; if possible, leave the roadway, and if not, move as far to the right as you can and use signals so that other drivers can clearly see you.
• Ask your insurance for help, if necessary. What happened to you may have an easy solution, like a flat tire, and you may have a spare tire. But it could also be that your engine has broken down or something else has gone wrong—something that’s beyond your ability to fix. So it’s time to ask for support. Most automobile policies have the roadside assistance service. Call your insurance to help you and they will indicate, more precisely, what you should do.
• Safety, above all. If the accident occurs at a dangerous point on the journey, notify the authorities so that they can assist you or even stop traffic to avoid accidents. If you have to leave the vehicle, don’t forget to put your reflective vest on and leave your emergency lights on. The help you need will arrive very soon.

Here, it’s even more important not to let nerves or lack of knowledge prevent us from acting correctly. Every second can be vital, especially if there are injuries involved.

To minimize the impact and help the public, the internationally recognized “PAS protocol” (Protect, Alert, Save) has been established as the initial response in the event of a roadside emergency. What does this mean?

• First, you must protect the scene by signaling the accident.
• Next, alert the emergency services, providing them with accurate information about the location of the incident, the characteristics and number of vehicles involved—especially if there are any specific details that assistance teams need to be aware of—and leave a contact number.
• And if you have the knowledge to do so, you can try to assist the injured.

If you’re involved in a minor accident with no injuries or serious damage, the best course of action is to fill out an amicable accident report if multiple vehicles are involved. Then, contact your insurance company so they can advise you on the next steps to take. In this type of situation you will be very happy to have a good policy. 

The latest report on the global road safety situation of the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that, since 2010, road traffic fatalities have decreased by 5%. But we should not let our guard down, as it remains a serious problem for the world, which causes 1.19 million deaths per year.

According to a European Commission report, 20,400 fatal accidents occurred in this area in 2023. Specifically in Spain, as revealed by the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), there were 101,306 road incidents during the same period, resulting in a total of 1,806 fatalities.

Faced with such alarming figures, we must remember that prevention is always paramount. With the aim of mitigating these types of situations, at MAPFRE, we recommend proper vehicle maintenance and regular checks of the tires, battery, lights, and fluid levels such as water, coolant, and oil.

Only last summer, between July and August, MAPFRE carried out 410.000 roadside assistance services. Ninety percent were due to breakdowns, and the rest were due to accidents. Insured parties have the necessary resources to assist them with whatever they need, such as over 2,600 towing and assistance vehicles (or repair shop vehicles), as well as an app that makes it easy to request support through a simple online process.

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