Guide

Broken Down on a Utah Freeway: What to Do First

The vehicle is replaceable. Standing next to it on I-15 is the part that actually hurts people.

If you are stopped in a travel lane, on a narrow shoulder, or anywhere with traffic passing at highway speed, call 911. Not a tow company, not a referral service, not your insurer. Utah Highway Patrol can close a lane, put a marked vehicle behind you and turn a live hazard into a controlled scene. That is a thing only they can do, and it is free.

Move if you safely can, stop if you cannot

If the vehicle still rolls, get it as far right as the shoulder allows, past a curve rather than inside one, and off an on-ramp or bridge deck if there is any choice. If it will not move, leave it. Do not push a car across live lanes and do not stand in a lane to direct traffic.

Hazard lights on, then get out on the safe side

Turn on the hazards. Then get everyone out on the side away from traffic and move well away from the vehicle — behind a guardrail, up the embankment, or over a wall. A stopped vehicle on a shoulder is struck often enough that sitting inside it is not the safe option people assume it is.

Do not change a tire on the traffic side

A flat on the driver's side of a freeway shoulder is a tow, not a tire change, no matter how confident you are with a jack. There is no version of kneeling in the gap between your car and a travel lane that is worth it.

Then call for the tow

Once you are behind something solid, make the call. Have your location ready — the nearest mile marker, exit number or overpass name is far more useful than a dropped pin that lands you on the wrong side of a divided highway. Say whether you are with the vehicle or away from it, because that changes what the operator expects to find.

Get Matched With a Tow Operator

Safe First, Then Tell Us Where the Vehicle Is

Get behind a barrier and away from traffic. Then send the vehicle, the drivetrain and the location, and we will match you with an operator.

Get Matched With a Tow Operator