Qué Hacer Cuando Su Auto se Avería en la I-65 en Birmingham

A breakdown on I-65 through Birmingham is not like a breakdown on a side street. Traffic is moving at 70 mph, the shoulder is narrow in places, and drivers are not expecting a stopped car. The first two minutes matter more than anything else you do.

Get out of the travel lane if you still have momentum

The moment you feel a problem (a blowout, a loss of power, steam from the hood), start moving right while the car is still rolling. A car that coasts onto the shoulder is far safer than one that stops dead in a lane. Signal, check your mirror, and use whatever speed you have left to reach the right shoulder or an exit ramp.

If you cannot reach the shoulder, get as far right as you can and stop. Do not try to cross multiple lanes of fast traffic to reach the left shoulder unless you are already in the far-left lane.

Make yourself visible immediately

• Turn on your hazard lights before you finish stopping.
• At night, leave your headlights and taillights on.
• Turn the wheels away from traffic.
• If you have reflective triangles and it is safe to place them, set them well behind the car so drivers have time to react.

Decide whether to stay in the car

This is the decision most drivers get wrong. On a narrow shoulder with traffic passing close, staying belted inside the vehicle is usually safer than standing beside it. Your car is a crumple zone; you are not.

Get out only if you can exit on the passenger side away from traffic and move well behind a barrier, up a bank, or beyond the guardrail. If you do get out, everyone gets out. Do not leave passengers in the car while you stand outside.

Call for help with the right details

When you call our dispatch line, the details that get a truck to you fastest are:

• The interstate and direction: “I-65 northbound” is very different from southbound.
• The nearest mile marker or exit number. Mile markers are on small green signs along the shoulder.
• Whether the car is in a lane or on the shoulder.
• Whether the vehicle rolls, steers and brakes, which decides what equipment we send.

If anyone is hurt, or the vehicle is blocking a live lane, call 911 first. Alabama State Troopers can shut a lane and protect the scene in a way a tow truck cannot.

While you wait

Stay belted, keep your hazards on, and do not accept a tow from an unmarked truck that arrives unrequested. Ask for the company name and confirm it matches the company you called. A legitimate driver will not mind the question.

Amani Towing runs emergency towing across the Birmingham metro, including the interstates. If you are stranded now, call (205) 555-0198 and we will get a truck moving.