Tip #41: On Route 1 & 9, Route 22 or I-78, get as far off the road as you can
On Routes 1 & 9, Route 22 and I-78, the safest place to break down is off the road entirely: a ramp, a lot, a side street. If you must stop on the shoulder, get fully off the lane, turn on hazards, stay belted in and call with an exact location.
Tip #41 in one line
On Routes 1 & 9, Route 22 and I-78, the safest place to break down is off the road entirely: a ramp, a lot, a side street. If you must stop on the shoulder, get fully off the lane, turn on hazards, stay belted in and call with an exact location.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowKeep rolling if you can
Many breakdowns give you a few seconds of warning: a warning light, a flat tire you feel, an engine losing power. Use them. On Routes 1 & 9 and Route 22 there are lots, gas stations and side streets every few hundred feet in most stretches, and getting into one is far safer than stopping on a narrow shoulder with traffic beside you. On I-78, aim for the next exit ramp or the widest stretch of shoulder you can see.
Driving a short distance on a flat tire will probably ruin the tire. That is a reasonable trade for not standing next to a live lane.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowIf you stop on the shoulder
Pull as far right as possible, with the wheels turned away from traffic. Turn on the hazard lights. Stay in the car with your seat belt on if the traffic is fast and close, because people who get out are the ones who get hit. If the car is in a dangerous spot, or there is smoke or fire, get out on the side away from traffic and stand well behind the guardrail or up the embankment, not between the car and the road.
Do not try to change a tire on the traffic side of a highway. Call and let a flat tire change or emergency tow come to you; our drivers set up the truck as a barrier before working.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowGive the location precisely
Tell the dispatcher the road, the direction, and what you passed last: an exit number, a cross street, a store or a milepost sign. Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, I-78, I-287 and Route 3 are direct dispatches from Linden, and the price is quoted on the call. If you are in a live lane and cannot get out of it, call 911 first. More road notes are on our streets page.
At night, also turn on the interior light so passing drivers see an occupied car, and keep your phone charged by plugging it in if the car's power still works. If you are a regular commuter on these roads, keep a phone charger, a flashlight and a reflective vest in the glove box. It costs little and it makes the wait on a dark shoulder much safer.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowMore on nj roads
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Tip #42: Stopped in a live lane on the Pulaski Skyway or a bridge? Call 911 first
- Tip #43: On the Turnpike or Parkway, the shoulder tow is the Authority's garage
- Tip #44: In a jughandle, tell the dispatcher which side of the highway you are on
- Tip #46: On one-way streets in Newark, Jersey City or Elizabeth, give the block, not just the street
- Tip #47: Learn to read the mileposts and exit numbers before you need them
- Tip #49: Assume passing drivers will not move over, and stand where they cannot hit you
- What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- All posts
Need towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.