Car Breakdown on a Motorway in Pakistan: What to Do

If your car breaks down on a motorway, your first job is to get yourself and your passengers out of danger, not to fix the car. Move onto the hard shoulder, switch on your hazard lights, place a warning triangle behind the car, get everyone out on the side away from traffic and wait behind the barrier. Then call Motorway Police on 130 if you are in a dangerous spot, and call a recovery service for the car.

Motorway traffic in Pakistan moves fast, day and night. The biggest danger after a breakdown is a stopped car being hit from behind, and the steps below are designed to prevent that.

1. Get off the live lanes

As soon as you notice a warning sign, such as a temperature gauge climbing, a warning light, a loss of power, a burning smell or a sudden shake from a tyre, indicate left and move onto the hard shoulder. If you are close to a service area or interchange, try to reach it, as it is much safer than the hard shoulder. Do not stop in a live lane unless the car simply cannot move.

Park as far left as you can, with your wheels turned slightly towards the verge. Switch on your hazard lights straight away. At night or in fog, keep your sidelights on as well.

2. Put out the warning triangle

Motorway Police expect drivers to carry a warning triangle, and this is exactly what it is for. Walk back along the hard shoulder, facing the oncoming traffic, and place it well behind your car so approaching drivers have time to react. On a bend or a hill, put it further back. If walking back feels unsafe because of heavy traffic or poor visibility, skip this step and get behind the barrier.

3. Get everyone out and behind the barrier

Get all passengers out through the left-hand doors, away from traffic. Move up the embankment or behind the crash barrier and wait there, a little ahead of the car rather than behind it. Keep children and elderly passengers close, and keep pets on a lead or inside a carrier.

Do not stand between your car and the traffic, and do not sit in the car. If a vehicle hits your car from behind, anyone sitting inside or standing next to it is at serious risk. In extreme summer heat, find shade on the embankment and keep drinking water; in winter, take warm clothing out with you.

4. Work out exactly where you are

Recovery trucks and Motorway Police need a precise location. Look for the nearest kilometre marker on the side of the carriageway and note your direction of travel, for example "M-2, towards Lahore, near the Bhera interchange". If you have mobile data, share your WhatsApp live location as well. It removes almost all the guesswork.

5. Make the right calls

• Motorway Police (NH&MP): 130. Call them if your car is in a dangerous position, if there has been an accident, or if you feel unsafe.
• Rescue 1122: call if anyone is injured or unwell.
• A recovery service: for the car itself. Give your kilometre marker, direction, car make and model, and what went wrong.

When you call us, we confirm a fixed quote before we dispatch a truck and give you a live ETA on the call. Ask for both from any recovery company you use, so there are no surprises at the roadside.

6. Only fix simple problems, and only if it is safe

Changing a tyre on the hard shoulder is risky, particularly when the flat is on the traffic side. If the flat 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 try to repair the engine at the roadside, and never open the radiator cap on a hot engine, because the coolant is under pressure and can cause serious burns.

Common motorway breakdowns and how to prevent them

• Overheating: common on the M-2 Salt Range climb near Kallar Kahar and in summer on the M-5 and M-9. Check coolant level and the radiator fan before long trips.
• Tyre blowouts: heat and under-inflation are the usual causes. Check pressures when the tyres are cold, and replace tyres that are old, cracked or worn.
• Running out of fuel or CNG: fill up before joining, especially on long stretches like the M-5 where stations are far apart.
• Brake fade: on long descents, shift to a lower gear and let the engine hold your speed instead of riding the brakes.
• Battery failure: a slow crank in the morning is an early warning. Get the battery tested before a long journey.

What not to do

• Do not reverse along the hard shoulder to reach an exit you missed.
• Do not try to cross the carriageway on foot.
• Do not accept a tow from a passing vehicle with a rope or chain; it is unsafe at motorway speeds.
• Do not leave your car unattended for long without telling Motorway Police where you have gone.

Keep a small kit in the car for long trips: a warning triangle, a reflective vest, a torch, drinking water, a phone charger and a printed copy of key numbers. It costs very little and makes a roadside wait much safer and easier.