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Summer 2018 – We’re in the car, heading to Genoa from Bergheim, France, specifically on the highway in Switzerland. The trip had gone more or less according to plan so far, with no problems or major traffic jams. We had left Bergheim early, and everything pointed to us arriving in Genoa with plenty of time to enjoy a long evening in the city. However, those plans were quickly derailed. Suddenly, the trip was no longer going according to plan…
As we were driving in the outer lane of the highway, we suddenly heard a strange noise from the car, which started to bounce and shake. Our first thought was that the road must be in terrible condition due to roadworks. But after a few seconds, we realized something much worse was wrong. Our right rear tire wasn’t just flat—it had exploded. Damn! And not only had the tire exploded, but we were also in the middle of a heavily trafficked road with practically no shoulder. What do you do in a situation like that?
What we did when disaster struck
Our mishap happened at the most inconvenient spot on the entire route between Bergheim and Genoa – and I have to admit, my first thought was: DAMN! What now? Fortunately, my brain quickly switched into survival mode, and I started making quick and sensible decisions. I turned on the hazard lights and carefully guided the car onto the shoulder. Due to roadwork, there wasn’t a regular emergency lane on the right side, just a narrow strip along the outer edge.
The shoulder on this stretch was much narrower than usual because of the roadwork. Now, with our car parked there, the lane became even tighter for the vehicles still zooming past on the highway. On top of that, the narrow shoulder made it unsafe for us to get out of the car. If we stepped out, we’d be standing practically in the middle of the highway with cars speeding closely by on both sides. So, it was safer to stay inside, even with cars whizzing past just half a meter away.
We decided that Lise and Sebastian would stay in the car while I went out to place the warning triangle. Lise moved all our luggage to make room for Sebastian on the far left side, away from the speeding traffic. I got out to set up the triangle, but it was far from a pleasant experience. It felt like standing in the fast lane of a busy highway. Cars were rushing by on both sides, and we could see several drivers in our lane almost getting into accidents as they squeezed between us and the trucks. It was incredibly nerve-wracking.
Due to the narrow shoulder, it was far too dangerous to change the tire ourselves. So, we called Falck to get assistance. Thankfully, both Falck and the Swiss roadside assistance were extremely efficient. Falck estimated that Swiss roadside assistance would reach us in about 20 minutes. And, 21 minutes later, roadside assistance rolled up in front of our car! How often do you experience that kind of punctuality?
However, the roadside assistance worker didn’t get out of his vehicle at first, which left us a bit puzzled. After about 10 minutes, he finally stepped out and explained that he needed to call the police first. We soon found out why. The roadside worker walked past our car and down toward the warning triangle behind us—then further down the highway. There, he stood in the outer lane and began directing cars to move into the inner lane to keep a safe distance from our vehicle, reducing the risk of an accident or injury. It was incredibly brave, as the cars were speeding by. We have nothing but great respect for his efforts.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the police arrived and blocked off the lane, allowing the roadside worker to safely change our (spare) tire.
Only 90 minutes after contacting Falck, we were back on the road.
Our experience reminded me of the importance of being prepared with your car before a trip – and, perhaps more importantly, having reliable roadside assistance. Naturally, we had prepared in advance with a spare tire and the necessary equipment in case of an emergency. We also made sure we had a roadside assistance plan that covered all of Europe. Today, we’re incredibly grateful for both.
What to do if things go wrong
Below, I’ve outlined the most important guidelines for what to do if you encounter trouble:
- The most important thing you can do if something goes wrong is, first and foremost, to stay calm.
- Turn on the car’s hazard lights.
- Move the car off the road and onto the shoulder or emergency lane.
- Ensure everyone in the car gets out on the other side of the guardrail to stay safe. In many countries, staying inside the car is not allowed.
- Call for roadside assistance, such as Falck.
- Put on a reflective vest and place the warning triangle 100 meters behind the car.
- Return to a safe spot.
It’s crucial to let roadside assistance know your exact location so they can reach you as quickly as possible. However, it’s not always easy to know precisely where you are, especially on a highway in the mountains. In fact, we ourselves were uncertain about our exact location when we broke down in Switzerland. Roadside assistance found us because we were able to describe a helicopter hangar nearby and the name of a town visible on Google Maps on our phones.
Since then, we discovered that Falck has an excellent app that sends your precise GPS coordinates to Falck, along with details about your car, your Falck membership number, and more. If we had used this app, our situation would have been much easier. So, we’ve now installed Falck’s app and recommend that anyone planning a road trip do the same, or download another roadside assistance service app. It makes everything much simpler if trouble strikes.
Are you prepared with the right equipment and roadside assistance?
It’s easy to overlook the importance of preparing your car before going on vacation. If the car runs fine and there aren’t any obvious issues, it’s tempting to think everything will be okay. But there’s a big difference between driving a few kilometers daily and covering thousands on a holiday road trip.
Before your next long road trip, remember to check if:
- There’s enough oil in the car.
- The brakes are in perfect condition—it would be awful to go on vacation with failing brakes.
- The tires are too worn.
- You have a spare tire.
- There’s enough coolant in the car.
- There’s enough windshield washer fluid – it’s not a disaster if you run out, but it’s incredibly annoying if it’s not taken care of.
Make sure you have a roadside assistance plan, and confirm that your plan covers you while abroad.
Good road trip preparation leads to great road trip adventures.
Safe travels!
