Broke Down on the Freeway? Here's What To Do.
A breakdown on a busy Perth freeway — Kwinana, Mitchell, Roe, or Tonkin — is more stressful than a suburban street breakdown, because you're dealing with fast-moving traffic. Here's how to handle it safely, step by step.
1. Get as far left as you can
The moment you notice something's wrong — a warning light, a strange noise, loss of power — indicate left and move onto the shoulder or emergency lane as soon as it's safe. Don't wait for the problem to get worse before pulling over.
Try to stop somewhere with extra space — past a bridge or overpass, not underneath or right before one — so following traffic has more time to see you.
2. Turn on your hazard lights immediately
Do this the second you're stopped, even before you've worked out what's wrong. Hazards are what warn approaching traffic that you're stationary, especially critical at freeway speeds.
3. Get out on the passenger side, if you exit at all
If you're fully on the shoulder and it's safe to do so, exit from the side away from traffic — usually the left/passenger side on Australian roads — and stand well behind the guard rail or barrier, not next to your car.
If you're not confident it's safe to exit (no shoulder, traffic very close, poor visibility), stay inside with your seatbelt on and call for help from there instead.
4. Call for help — don't attempt roadside repairs on a freeway
Freeways are not the place to pop the bonnet and start troubleshooting. Call us directly and tell us:
- Which freeway and direction of travel
- The nearest exit number or overpass/landmark you passed
- Whether you're on the shoulder, in a breakdown bay, or somewhere more exposed
This lets us dispatch the right truck straight to you, and warn our driver about traffic conditions before they arrive.
5. If it's genuinely dangerous, call 000 first
If your car has broken down in a live traffic lane and you can't safely move it to the shoulder, or if you're involved in a collision, call 000 before anything else. Main Roads WA also monitors major freeways and can dispatch traffic management if needed.
6. While you wait
- Keep your seatbelt on if you're staying inside the vehicle.
- Keep hazard lights on the entire time.
- If you have a hi-vis vest or warning triangle in the car, this is when to use them — but only if you can do so safely from behind the barrier.
- Watch for our call or text confirming arrival time, so you know roughly when to expect us.