Roadside Recovery & Breakdown Assistance

  1. Home
  2. Roads
Free educational guides Major UK roads covered 24/7 service available Process explained

Roadside Recovery & Breakdown Assistance on Major UK Roads

Breaking down on a motorway or A-road is stressful. This guide explains what to do, how roadside recovery works, and what to expect when you call for help.

We cover all major roads including M1, A14, A43, A45, M6, and more. Available 24/7 for emergency breakdown recovery.

Need immediate roadside assistance? Visit our Car Recovery Corby page for local service information.

Road-Specific Breakdown & Recovery Information

Select a road below for detailed information about breakdown recovery on that specific route

A14 breakdown recovery - smart motorway with emergency refuge areas

A14 Breakdown Recovery

Smart motorway with no hard shoulder. Emergency refuge areas every 1.5 miles. Complete guide for A14 breakdowns.

Learn More
A43 car recovery - Northamptonshire's main route

A43 Car Recovery

Major route through Northamptonshire connecting the M1 and M40. Essential guide for breakdowns on this busy A-road.

Learn More
A45 roadside assistance - connecting Daventry to Rushden

A45 Roadside Help

Important east-west route through Northamptonshire. Breakdown advice for the A45 from Daventry to Rushden.

Learn More
A6003 breakdown recovery - Corby to Kettering route

A6003 Breakdown Recovery

Key local route connecting Corby, Geddington, Kettering, and Thrapston. Essential information for breakdowns.

Learn More
M1 breakdown assistance - major motorway with smart sections

M1 Breakdown Assistance

Major motorway through Northamptonshire with smart sections. Smart motorway rules and emergency refuge areas explained.

Learn More
Motorway breakdown help - general motorway recovery advice

Motorway Breakdown Help

General motorway breakdown guidance – hard shoulder safety, smart motorway ERA, calling 999 vs breakdown provider.

Learn More

Recovery Services by Location

For location-specific recovery information, select your area below:

Car Recovery Corby →
Car Recovery Kettering →
Car Recovery Northampton →
Car Recovery Wellingborough →
Car Recovery Rushden →
Car Recovery Daventry →

What To Do If You Break Down On A Road

Step 1 – Get to safety: If possible, pull over to the hard shoulder (motorway) or side of the road (A-road). Switch on hazard lights immediately.
Step 2 – Get out safely: On a motorway, exit the passenger side and get behind the barrier. On an A-road, exit carefully away from traffic.
Step 3 – Call for help: Call your breakdown provider. If you're on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, call 999 FIRST.
Step 4 – Wait safely: Stay behind the barrier or well away from traffic. Keep hazard lights on. Do not walk along the road.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, stay in your car with your seatbelt on, hazard lights on, and call 999 immediately. Do NOT get out of your car.

For a complete breakdown guide, see our what to do if your car breaks down page.

Smart Motorway Breakdown Guide

Smart motorways have no continuous hard shoulder. Instead, they have Emergency Refuge Areas (ERA) every 1.5 miles.

If you can reach an ERA: Pull in, hazard lights on, stay in your car, use SOS phone or call 999, then call your breakdown provider.
If you cannot reach an ERA: Stay in your car with seatbelt on, hazard lights on, call 999 immediately. Highways England will close the lane.

Remember: Do NOT get out of your car on a smart motorway unless you are in an ERA or safely behind a barrier.

For detailed smart motorway rules, see our motorway breakdown rules UK page.

Frequently Asked Questions – Roadside Recovery

What should I do if I break down on a motorway?

Pull over to the hard shoulder if possible. Exit passenger side and get behind the barrier. Call your breakdown provider. If you're on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, call 999 first. See motorway breakdown help for more details.

An ERA is a safe place to stop on a smart motorway. They are located every 1.5 miles and have orange tarmac and a blue sign with an SOS phone symbol.

We cover M1 (J15-J19), M6 (J1), A14 (J1-J13), A43 (full Northamptonshire), A45, A5, and A6003. For specific road information, see the road pages above.

Costs vary by distance and location. For pricing information, see our prices page.

A normal motorway has a continuous hard shoulder. A smart motorway has no continuous hard shoulder – only emergency refuge areas (ERA) every 1.5 miles. The M1 near Northampton (J16-J19) and A14 near Kettering are smart motorways.

If you're in a live lane or on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, call 999 FIRST. If you're safely on the hard shoulder or in an ERA, call your breakdown provider. When in doubt, call 999 – they'll advise.

Need Roadside Recovery Assistance?

Browse the road pages above for detailed information, or visit our location pages for local service.

Car Recovery Corby Contact Us

© 2026 Nick Transport Specialist Ltd (Company No. 16342771) • All Rights Reserved • Privacy Policy • Terms & Conditions • Cookie Policy

Public Liability Up to £2,000,000 | Goods in Transit Up to £500,000 | Business Insurance Up to £200,000