Breakdown on Islamabad Expressway: What to Do

If your car breaks down on the Islamabad Expressway, move as far left as possible, ideally onto a shoulder, a service lane or an interchange slip road, and switch on your hazard lights. Get everyone out through the doors away from traffic and wait behind the barrier or on the verge, not in the car. Then call Islamabad Traffic Police on 1915 or the police on 15 if the car is blocking traffic, Rescue 1122 if anyone is hurt, and a recovery service with the nearest landmark, such as an interchange, a housing society entrance or a flyover.

The Islamabad Expressway links Zero Point and Faizabad with Koral, Gulberg, the PWD area and the housing societies along the route, and continues to the GT Road near Rawat. It carries heavy commuter traffic in both directions, much of it fast-moving on the signal-free sections. A stopped car here is at real risk of being hit from behind, especially at night, in rain and in winter fog.

1. Get out of the live lanes

As soon as you notice a problem, such as a warning light, a rising temperature gauge, a loss of power or a flat tyre, indicate and move left. If you can still drive slowly, aim for an interchange slip road, a service road or a wide verge rather than stopping in a traffic lane. Do not stop on a flyover, a bridge or just after a bend if you can avoid it, as drivers will see you too late.

If the car stops completely in a live lane, switch on hazards at once. Only get out if you can do so safely, on the side away from traffic.

2. Make the car visible

• Switch on hazard lights straight away, and sidelights too at night or in rain.
• Put on a reflective vest before getting out, if you have one.
• Place a warning triangle well behind the car only if you can walk there safely along the verge. On a busy section with no shoulder, skip this and get to safety.
• Raise the bonnet once you are out, as a further sign that the car has broken down.

3. Get everyone to safety

Get all passengers out through the left-hand doors and move behind the crash barrier or up the verge, a little ahead of the car. Keep children by the hand. Do not stand between the car and the traffic, and do not wait inside the car. Rear-end collisions with stopped cars are one of the most serious risks on fast urban roads.

4. Pinpoint your location

The Expressway has many interchanges, flyovers and society entrances that look similar, especially at night. A clear location saves a lot of time.

• Note your direction of travel: towards Faizabad and Zero Point, or towards Rawat and the GT Road.
• Note the nearest interchange, flyover, housing society entrance, petrol station or large signboard.
• Share a WhatsApp live location with the recovery service. It is usually the quickest way for a truck to find you.

5. Make the right calls

• Islamabad Traffic Police helpline: 1915, if your car is blocking a lane or causing a hazard.
• Police: 15, for emergencies.
• Rescue 1122: if anyone is injured or unwell.
• A recovery service: for the car. Give the make and model, the problem and your exact location.

If there has been a collision, follow the police's instructions. Islamabad's Safe City cameras cover many main roads, and footage may help establish what happened, so note the exact time.

6. Do not attempt risky repairs

Changing a tyre on the traffic side of the car on the Expressway is dangerous. If the flat tyre is on the left and the car is well off the road in daylight, you may be able to change it carefully. Otherwise, wait for help. Do not open the radiator cap on an overheated engine, and do not let passing drivers push or rope-tow your car across lanes.

Common Expressway breakdowns

• Overheating in stop-start traffic near Faizabad and Koral, especially in summer. Check coolant and the radiator fan regularly.
• Flat batteries on cold winter mornings and after long idling with lights and AC on.
• Flat tyres and blowouts, often from under-inflation or old tyres.
• Running out of fuel or CNG during long jams.
• Minor collisions in heavy traffic, which leave cars that should not be driven.
• Water in the engine after driving through flooded sections during monsoon downpours.

Getting the car recovered

For most breakdowns on the Expressway, a flatbed is the safest option: it loads the car quickly and moves it off the road with all four wheels lifted. This is essential for automatics, hybrids, electric cars and accident-damaged cars, which should not be towed on their wheels. If the problem is simple, such as a flat battery, a flat tyre or an empty tank, a roadside assistance crew may be able to get you moving again, but they will normally first move you to a safer spot if your car is in a dangerous position.

Before the truck is dispatched, ask the recovery company for a fixed quote and an estimated arrival time, and tell them where you want the car taken: home, a workshop or a dealer.

A small kit for the daily commute

• Warning triangle and reflective vest.
• Torch and phone charger.
• Drinking water.
• Jump leads or a jump pack.
• Traffic police, Rescue 1122 and a recovery service number saved in your phone.