What to do if your car breaks down in Spain

When we think about our car, we tend to focus on the advantages of owning one. Autonomy, comfort, good time management, a sense of freedom, etc. But we should also think about what to do if our car breaks down. Although it is not something that happens every week, it is unfortunately a very common situation. Cars are efficient machines that improve our daily lives, but they are still machines and they can break down.

If you have recently arrived in Spain and you want to know how you should proceed in the event of a breakdown, please read on because in this article we will give you some tips on how to cope with such a situation. Whether you are moving around the city or travelling long distances, this quick guide might be useful for you.

Be calm and safe first and foremost

You're driving to work one day and suddenly you smell a strange odour. Does it smell like something burning? You immediately check your mirrors and a warning appears on the dashboard. You have to stop. Something is wrong with the car and it is not safe to continue driving. If you're driving in town, it's a little easier to pull over and find a safe place to park. But what if you're on the motorway?

First of all, don't panic. You will not be the first or the last person to have a breakdown on the road. There is a protocol for these cases and following it will be the best way to act. The first step is to turn on your hazard lights. This simple gesture will ensure that other drivers know that you are in trouble and, therefore, they will take their own precautions (such as slowing down or increasing the safety distance). Then try to pull off the motorway or, if this is not possible, pull over to the hard shoulder. Once there, you should put on your reflective waistcoat, get out of the car in the safest way possible (this could be getting out of the passenger door) and signal the breakdown with the emergency triangles.

New emergency signage V-16

In Spain, it is currently compulsory to carry a reflective waistcoat and two emergency triangles in the front and rear of the car in the event of a breakdown. These triangles will be valid until 1 January 2026, but a new element is already being introduced in all vehicles: the V-16 pre-signalling device. This is an emergency light that is placed on the roof of the vehicle in the event of a breakdown (similar to the lights that are placed on police cars that are not patrol cars).

This beacon is yellow and its continuous and intense light can last up to 30 minutes. The most interesting thing about this new device is its connectivity. When the light is activated, the device will automatically connect to the DGT 3.0 platform, and it will send our position to the Spanish Authorities in order to alert other users of the risk. If you still do not have this device, remember that you must get it before 1 January 2026, since from that date on it will be the only legal emergency pre-signalling device, and it will replace the traditional cones and/or triangles. If you want to know more about this device before you buy it, please take a look at this link, where you can see different brands, models and features.

It's time to call for help

Once you have stopped the car on the hard shoulder and have taken all the necessary safety measures, it is time to call for assistance. Here there are two options: either you have an insurance policy that covers you, or you do not have roadside assistance cover.

If you find yourself in the latter case, you will need to make an emergency call to a roadside assistance company that can provide the service on an ad hoc basis, or you could also call a local garage that can lend a hand. In this case, you will probably pay a high price for the cost of the service and the urgent nature of the breakdown. If the breakdown occurs on a bank holiday, everything will be more expensive and you will probably have to wait longer than you would like. That is why this is the moment when you will really value having reliable insurance that will allow you to get out of this unpleasant situation as quickly as possible.

If you have an insurance policy with good coverage, everything will be over with a simple phone call. For example, if you have Caser Autohelp, you will be covered 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. This insurance coverage guarantees you roadside assistance throughout Spain. In addition, in the event of an accident, the app will send an alert message to Caser's head office so that help can be sent immediately to the scene of the accident.

Remember that, once you have made the call for assistance, it is important that you wait for help outside the car. If possible., you should wait behind the crash barrier or in the safest possible place, and never encroach on the road. According to the Dirección General de Tráfico, the danger increases when the car is stopped on the road, as there are numerous deaths per year due to collisions in such circumstances.

Finally, remember that with Caser Autohelp you also have a replacement vehicle in case your car is disabled for a few days while it is being repaired. If you choose the Extended Third Party Car Insurance, among the optional covers you have the one called “More Support”, where you will have a replacement car for up to 30 days, depending on the circumstances.

As you can see, suffering a breakdown on the road is not the end of the world, but it is a delicate situation that can be dangerous if we do not act appropriately. In case you don't have a car insurance yet, I invite you to take a look at the Caser Expat Insurance website, where you will find different alternatives to suit your needs. I hope this article has helped you to know what to do if your car breaks down, and remember that if you have any questions, we are here to help you.