WSP Says If Your Car Breaks Down on the Highway, Do These 3 Things

Do you know what to do when your vehicle becomes disabled on a highway? Taking the right steps could genuinely save your life or someone else's.

Here is what you need to know before it happens to you and you are stranded on the side of a Washington State highway.

Vehicle Disabled? The Washington State Patrol Says Do These Three Things

The second your vehicle becomes disabled on a highway, this is the order of what to do.

First, move your vehicle to the right shoulder if possible. A car sitting in a travel lane on an active highway is extremely dangerous to both the driver and you and everyone behind on the highway. Even getting partially on the shoulder creates more buffer. Make as much space as possible between you and moving traffic.

Second, immediately turn on your hazard lights. This will help alert approaching drivers and buys you seconds of reaction time that could be the difference between life and death at highway speeds.

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Third, the step people usually skip: watch carefully for approaching traffic before you open your door and exit the vehicle. The side of a highway is not a safe place to stand, and drivers are not expecting pedestrians. Every second you spend outside your vehicle on a highway shoulder carries real risk.

If your vehicle is blocking traffic and cannot be moved, call 911 immediately. Do not wait, but call from outside the vehicle.

Washington State Law Requires Disabled Vehicles to Do These Things

According to Washington State law under RCW 46.37.450, commercial vehicles, trucks, semis, trailers, and buses all have specific legal requirements for warning devices when disabled on a highway during low light conditions.

Within fifteen minutes of becoming disabled, the driver must place three reflectors or red electric lanterns on the roadway, one approximately 100 feet in front of the vehicle, one approximately 100 feet behind it, and one at the traffic side of the vehicle within ten feet.

On divided highways, the spacing increases to 200 feet for the forward warning device. Near curves or hillcrests where visibility is limited, warning devices must be placed at least 500 feet from the disabled vehicle to give approaching drivers adequate reaction time.

For vehicles transporting explosives or flammable materials, open flame warning devices like fusees and flares are specifically prohibited; only electric lanterns and reflective devices can be used.

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