How To Make Car Breakdowns Less Stressful When On Vacation

Do you have a teenage driver in your home? Does your teen know what to do if he or she has car troubles when out and about? Click here.

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preparing your teenager for roadside emergencies

Do you have a teenage driver in your home? Does your teen know what to do if he or she has car troubles when out and about? Is your teen driver included on your towing insurance policy? Does your teen driver have the phone numbers needed to get a tow when one is needed? There are many things that your teenager needs to know about when it comes to car troubles. Go to my site to find out what my mechanic helped me teach my son about dealing with roadside emergencies and car troubles. Hopefully, it will help you prepare your son or daughter for the day that the car breaks down on him or her.

How To Make Car Breakdowns Less Stressful When On Vacation

13 July 2015
 Categories:
, Blog


Are you planning a road trip for your vacation this year? Do you know what to do if your vehicle suddenly breaks down? Are you worried about the stress of finding a towing service while on vacation? Although a vehicle that needs towing can be stressful, here are some to make the process easier:

Bring plenty of food and water: You may be planning to take a busy route that has plenty of gas stations and fast food locations and that extra food and water will be a waste of space. However, this means little if you break down several miles from the nearest business. Depending on your location and how far away the tow truck driver is, it could be some time before the tow truck arrives. If you break down just before a planned meal stop, you could be especially hungry and thirsty before the tow truck arrives. By the time you factor in the time that the towing itself will take, as well as the possibility that the nearest mechanic has no nearby restaurants, you could be looking at it being several hours before you're able to get something to eat or drink if you neglected to bring something along. So it is best if you bring extra food and water for emergencies. 

Don't just call the first towing company number you find: Having your car break down can be a stressful experience. It can be tempting to simply call the number of the first towing company that you can find in order to have the tow truck arrive sooner. Unfortunately, the first number you find could actually be the furthest one away. If you have a smartphone, spend a few minutes determining where each company is in relation to you. The first company on the list may be on the other side of the city, but the third or fourth number you find number could be just a few miles away. By spending a few minutes doing research, you could be picked up much sooner.

Have your GPS coordinates ready, if possible: If you have a smartphone, check your mapping app or apps to find your full GPS coordinates. When you call the towing company ask if they want the coordinates in addition to your nearest crossroads. If they have a GPS system in their tow trucks, it may be both faster and easier for them to find you with your exact coordinates, rather than by a street address. For example, the town you've stopped in may have several similar-sounding names, such as both a 1st Avenue and a 1st Street. If the tow truck driver mishears the street name but gets the correct GPS coordinates, they should still be able to find you. You can contact a towing service, such as Frank's Towing, before your trip to discuss the best ways to find a towing service or how they could find you in the case of an emergency.