Quick answer: get as far onto the shoulder as you can, turn on your hazard lights, and stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt on. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or your vehicle is blocking a live lane. Otherwise call a towing company and give your exact location: highway, direction, and nearest exit or kilometre marker.
Step 1: Get off the road safely
At the first sign of trouble (warning lights, strange noises, loss of power or a flat), signal and move to the right shoulder. Try to stop on a straight stretch where approaching drivers can see you, not just past a curve or hill. If you can reach an exit or a wider shoulder, do so.
Step 2: Make your vehicle visible
- Turn on your hazard lights immediately.
- At night or in poor weather, keep your parking lights on.
- Only set out triangles or flares if you can do it without stepping into traffic.
Step 3: Stay in the vehicle in most cases
On a busy 400-series highway, the safest place is usually inside your vehicle with your seatbelt on and doors locked. Get out only if there’s smoke or fire, or a real risk of being struck, and then exit away from traffic and stand well back behind a guardrail.
Step 4: Know when to call 911
Call 911 if anyone is injured, if your vehicle is stopped in a live lane, if there’s a fire or fuel leak, or if you feel unsafe. Police can secure the scene and arrange or direct a tow.
Step 5: Call for a tow with the right details
Help arrives faster when the dispatcher knows exactly where you are and what you’re driving:
- Location: highway number, direction (e.g. Highway 410 northbound), nearest exit, overpass or kilometre marker
- Vehicle: make, model, colour and whether it’s AWD or 4x4
- Problem: flat tire, won’t start, overheating, collision, stuck
- Destination: your preferred repair shop or dealership
Step 6: While you wait
- Keep your phone charged and stay reachable.
- In winter, run the engine for heat only if your exhaust pipe is clear of snow.
- Confirm the tow truck’s company name when it arrives. Know your rights when you’re towed in Ontario.
Be ready before it happens
Save a trusted towing number in your phone and keep a basic emergency kit in your vehicle. Olympic Towing provides 24/7 emergency towing across Bolton, Brampton, Caledon, Vaughan and the rest of Peel and York Region, with typical arrival in about 30 minutes. Call 416-356-2900.
