What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
Get the car as far out of traffic as you can, turn on the hazards, stay belted in unless the car is unsafe, and then call for help with your exact location. Most breakdowns are solved in the first five minutes of good decisions.
The short answer
Get the car as far out of traffic as you can, turn on the hazards, stay belted in unless the car is unsafe, and then call for help with your exact location. Most breakdowns are solved in the first five minutes of good decisions.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowFirst thirty seconds: get out of the traffic lane
The moment the car stumbles, loses power or a warning light starts flashing, signal and steer toward the right shoulder, an exit ramp, a parking lot or a side street. On a multi-lane road like Route 1, Route 22 or I-78 the right shoulder is almost always safer than the left, because the left lane carries the fastest traffic and leaves you nowhere to walk. If the car still rolls, keep rolling until you reach a wide spot, a ramp or a lot. A few hundred extra feet can be the difference between a calm wait and a dangerous one.
Once stopped, turn on the hazard lights, set the parking brake and turn the wheels away from traffic. At night, leave the parking lights on. If you carry reflective triangles or flares and you can place them without walking into traffic, put them well behind the car.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowStay in the car or get out? It depends on where you stopped
On a highway shoulder with traffic moving fast, the safest place is usually inside the car with your seat belt on. A rear-end strike on a parked car is survivable when you are belted; it is not when you are standing beside it. Get out only if there is smoke, a fuel smell, or the car is stopped in a live lane where it may be hit, and then exit on the side away from traffic and move behind a guardrail or well up the embankment.
On a local street, in a lot or in your driveway, there is no reason to stay inside. Stand on the sidewalk or in a building, keep your phone charged, and watch for the truck.
New Jersey's Move Over law requires drivers to slow down and, when it is safe, change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow and service vehicles with lights flashing. It protects the people who come to help you, but it does not protect a pedestrian standing beside a car on the shoulder. Do not count on it.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWork out exactly where you are
Most of the delay in any roadside call comes from a vague location. Before you call, find the road name and direction of travel, the nearest exit number or mile marker, and a landmark you can see: an overpass, a gas station, a store sign. On a local street, the cross street and the town are enough. Your phone's map can drop a pin and show the street address. If you are in a parking deck, note the level and the nearest stairwell.
If the car is on the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway, the rules are different. Those shoulders are served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages. Book with us anyway, and once the authorized truck has the car off the highway, we take it from the exit or the garage's lot to wherever you want it to go.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowDecide: roadside fix or tow
Many breakdowns end without a tow. A car that cranks slowly or only clicks usually needs a jump start. A flat with an usable spare is a tire change. A gauge on empty is fuel delivery. Keys inside the car is a lockout. Each of these is one flat price and the technician often has you driving again quickly.
A tow is the right call when the engine overheats, the car makes a grinding or knocking noise, there is a fluid leak, the transmission will not engage, or a warning light tells you to stop driving. Do not try to limp it a few more miles; that is how a repair becomes an engine. Tell the dispatcher what the car did right before it stopped and the right truck is sent the first time.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhile you wait for the truck
Keep the hazards on, and keep your phone charged; if the battery is low, turn the screen brightness down and close apps you do not need. The dispatcher or the driver may call to confirm the location, so answer unknown numbers for a while. If you moved the car after calling, or you realize the location you gave was off, call back right away.
Gather what the driver will need: the keys, including any wheel lock key for the lug nuts, your registration and insurance card, and anything you want to take out of the car. If the car is going to a shop, write down the shop's name and address. If you have a roadside plan, keep its member number handy in case you want to ask about reimbursement later.
In winter, run the engine for heat only if the tailpipe is clear of snow, and crack a window. In summer heat, keep children and pets out of a closed car. If you have to wait outside, stand well away from the travel lanes, behind a barrier if one exists, and never stand between the car and oncoming traffic.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhat to say when you call
Call (908) 444-0129 and give four things: where you are, what you drive, what happened, and where you want the car to go if it needs a tow. With that, the dispatcher can quote the job before the truck rolls. A tow is a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate to the destination you choose; roadside jobs are one flat price each. There is no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharge.
If anyone is hurt, if the car is on fire, or if it is stopped in a live lane, call 911 first. For real-time road conditions and incident information across the state, NJ 511 is a useful second check while you wait. Our emergency towing dispatch covers every town within about 45 minutes of Linden.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowMore on breakdowns
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Where to tow your car: home, repair shop or dealer?
- Tip #23: With kids in the car, decide in the first minute whether they stay buckled or get out
- Tip #24: Ask the dispatcher about your pet before the tow truck arrives
- Tip #32: Close the trunk, windows and sunroof before the truck pulls away
- Tip #33: Take your valuables with you, or lock them out of sight
- Tip #45: In a parking deck, give the level and the clearance before a truck is sent
- Tip #48: Call 911 for danger, a tow company for a car that will not go
- Tip #50: Tell the dispatcher where, what and which way in the first 30 seconds
- All posts
Questions drivers ask about this
Short answers.
Should I stay in my car after a breakdown on a New Jersey highway?
On a busy highway shoulder, usually yes: stay buckled in with the hazards on. Get out only if there is smoke, a fuel smell, or the car is in a live lane, and then exit away from traffic and stand behind the guardrail.
Can you tow my car off the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway?
Turnpike and Parkway shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages. Book with us and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot to the shop or driveway you choose.
How do I know if I need a tow or just roadside help?
Clicks or a slow crank usually mean a jump start, a flat with a good spare is a tire change, and an empty tank is fuel delivery. Overheating, grinding, leaks or a car that will not go into gear need a tow.
How is the price worked out?
A tow is a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate to the destination you choose, quoted on the phone before the truck rolls. Roadside jobs are one flat price each, with no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharge.
Ask the dispatcher anything.
Call nowNeed towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.