Safety guide
Car breakdown safety tips in Kuwait
A breakdown is stressful, but what matters most is keeping you and your passengers away from passing traffic until the truck arrives. Here are the steps in order.
What to do when your car breaks down: step by step
Get away from moving traffic if you can
If the car is still moving, pull onto the hard shoulder or into the nearest exit or car park. Try not to stop just after a bend or a rise, where drivers cannot see you early.
Switch on your hazard lights
Turn them on straight away and leave them on until the truck arrives. At night or in dust, keep your side lights on too.
Get out on the kerb side if it is safe
You and your passengers should leave on the side away from passing traffic, and keep children with you, away from the road.
Place the warning triangle if it is safe
Walk along the shoulder, not in the lane, and set the triangle behind the car far enough back for approaching drivers to see it and slow down, further on a highway. Never stand in a traffic lane to place it. If it is not safe, rely on your hazard lights.
Wait behind the barrier
If there is a crash barrier, wait behind it and away from the car. Do not stand between the car and the traffic, and do not repair the car or change a tyre on the traffic side.
Call for a tow and send a clear location
Send your WhatsApp location with the road name, direction and nearest exit. Read How to send your location.
Follow the authorities’ instructions
After a collision, if anyone is hurt, or if there is immediate danger, call emergency services on 112 and follow the instructions of police and patrols at the scene.
Do not stand in a traffic lane for any reason, even to place the triangle or take things out of the car. You matter more than the car.
Worth keeping in your car
- A reflective warning triangle.
- A reflective vest to put on before you get out at night.
- A torch and a phone charger.
- Drinking water, especially in summer.
In summer heat and dusty weather
In extreme heat, never leave anyone, especially children or older people, in a closed car with the engine off. Find safe shade away from the road and drink water. In dust, visibility drops, so stay further from the road and keep the hazard lights and side lights on.
When the tow truck arrives
Stay in the safe spot until the driver asks otherwise, and do not help with loading on the traffic side. We tell you the price and agree it before the truck sets off.
Related services: Roadside assistance · Car towing · Hydraulic flatbed
Frequently asked questions
How far behind the car should I put the warning triangle?
We do not give a single number, because the right distance depends on the road’s speed, bends and visibility. Approaching drivers should see it early enough to slow down, and it should be further back on a highway. Follow Kuwait’s traffic rules and police instructions, and never stand in a traffic lane to place it.
Should I stay in the car or get out?
On a highway, waiting behind the barrier or away from the road is usually safer, if you can get out on the kerb side safely. If getting out is not safe, stay in the car with your seat belt on and the hazard lights flashing, and call 112.
When should I call emergency services instead of a tow truck?
If anyone is hurt, after a collision, or if there is immediate danger such as smoke, fire or a car stuck in a fast lane, call 112 first, then call for a tow.
Broken down right now?
Once you are somewhere safe, call or send your location on WhatsApp.