What to do if your car breaks down on a Qatar highway
Traffic on Qatar's highways is fast, and the heat adds a second risk. These steps keep you safe until help arrives.
Seven steps, in order
Get the car off the road
At the first sign of trouble, indicate and move to the hard shoulder or the next exit while the car is still rolling. Don't stop in a live lane if you can avoid it.
Switch on the hazard lights
Do it straight away, day or night. If you carry a warning triangle, place it well behind the car, but only if you can do so without walking in traffic.
Get everyone out on the safe side
Leave by the doors away from traffic and stand well back from the road, behind the barrier if there is one. Don't wait inside the car on the shoulder.
Deal with the heat
Take water with you and find shade away from the road. In summer, heat becomes a danger within minutes, especially for children and older passengers.
Call 999 if anyone is hurt or the car is in a dangerous position
A car stuck in a live lane, an injury, smoke or fire is an emergency. Call 999 first, then the tow truck.
Call the breakdown service and send a location pin
On WhatsApp, share your live location. Add the road name, the direction you were travelling and the last exit or landmark you passed.
Wait away from the car
Don't attempt repairs at the roadside and don't accept a tow by rope or chain from a passing car on a highway.
What to tell us when you call
- Your location pin, the road and your direction of travel
- Make and model, and whether it is automatic or 4x4
- What happened: won't start, overheated, flat tyre, accident
- Where you want the car taken
What not to do
- Don't stand between your car and oncoming traffic
- Don't open the bonnet on an overheated engine until it has cooled
- Don't keep driving on a flat tyre or with a temperature warning
- Don't leave children or pets in a parked car in the heat
Common questions
Who do I call first on a highway in Qatar?
If anyone is hurt or the car is blocking a lane, call 999. Otherwise call your breakdown service and share a location pin.
How do I describe where I am on a highway?
Send a WhatsApp location pin, then add the road, your direction and the last exit or landmark you passed.
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