When you are stuck in traffic, your car’s brakes may not be working properly or you may not be able to see clearly due to congestion, a stuck brake pedal is an emergency situation. Although you have already pulled over, your mind may be racing with the need to get away, out of the traffic, or worse, into a safe zone. You want to get to a safe place fast, but you don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. If you are stuck in traffic, what should you do?
First, stay calm and collected. Although it will hurt, keep in mind that you are driving and need to think about your safety while doing so. If you are stuck on the side of the road, pull over safely and quickly so as not to scare the motorist behind you who may be driving erratically. If you have been involved in a collision, call 911 for help to get yourself out of the stuck position.
Second, if you are stuck on the road, use the cell phone to call out to help as soon as possible. Do not try to drive your way to the nearest gas station or some other convenient location, if possible. Even if you can maneuver a few blocks, there is a chance that you could get stuck again. A stuck telephone lines is not an emergency, however, and you do not need to panic just because you can’t get through.
Third, if you have already pulled over, call out the road emergency number that is on the sign above you. This may not always work, especially during bad weather, so you should try calling any number that is available to you as long as you have some form of cell phone signal. Remember to ask for directions to your home as well, especially if the stuck telephone lines were caused by an accident.
Fourth, once you are safely pulled over, check your cell phone to see if the signal is still available. Sometimes a cell phone signal can be intermittent or completely lost. However, this does not mean that you should give up hope just yet. Some phones are designed specifically to get themselves stuck in the middle of a road when the signal is interrupted, so do not give up if this happens to you.
Finally, if all else fails, call the local authorities to see if they will come and help you get your car out of the stuck. This is usually their job, but it is important to at least have someone available who can come and see what is going on. If you have an idea that the stuck telephone lines are due to a mechanical problem, do not risk driving your vehicle further into the stuck area to try to fix the problem, because this may only make matters worse.