If you are relatively new to driving, you might not really know when it is a good time to pull your car over. Unless your engine stops running or you blow a tyre, you may assume your car is running just fine, but that puts you at risk. There are some situations where you need to pull over and call for roadside assistance for your safety. Here are some situations when you should pull your car over and get help.
Your Car Is Overheating
A good reason to pull your car over is when it is overheating. There is a temperature gauge on your dashboard that lets you know the current temperature of your car. You should look at this gauge often and start paying attention to it when the line goes over the middle mark. This is when it starts to get hot. If that marker keeps moving gradually to the hot position and gets closer to hot than it is to cold, your car might be overheating. It is best that you pull over and let your car cool off before doing anything else. If when pulling your car over, you smell or see smoke under the hood, see flames, or the temperature gauge won't go back down to cold when starting up the engine again, it is time to call a tow truck.
You Experience a Sudden Rumbling
This often has to do with the tyres or wheels and also should not be ignored. If you are driving on the highway and your vehicle suddenly starts acting oddly, such as a rumbling or heavy vibrating, or like you are about to lose control of it, pull over as soon as you are able to. Once you pull over safely, look out your mirrors to make sure it is clear, then take a look at all of your tyres. You might see that there is an issue with a wheel or that one of your tyres has started to go flat.
There Is a Pop or Other Loud Noise
Loud and sudden noises are often not a good thing. It is possible that you ran over something while driving, but it is still a good reason to pull over. When you pull over, first look around your car to look for signs that there was a pop in one of your tyres because it has gone flat. If that looks fine, take a peek under your hood, but be careful as it is going to be hot. If you see smoke coming out from under the hood, or something looks odd, it is probably best that you call a tow truck.
Share
