When the car broke down on the road, it began to stop passenger cars – the true face of Lithuanians was revealed.

During the experiment, we left the car on the Vilnius country road for half an hour, on the way to Trakai, and we observed how long it would take for the passing car to stop.

The first car stopped after nearly ten minutes, and just over a minute later, another driver stopped to help. In the fifteenth minute of the experiment, a third driver also responded to the call for help. A total of six drivers stopped in half an hour; You can see the moments of the experiment in the video.

The car broke down on the road: where to start?

First of all, if possible, it is important to park the car as far to the right of the curb as possible. If possible, stop in a pocket near the road, in a parking lot, or other safe place.

Next, other road users should be informed of the obstacle on the road by activating the hazard warning lights and only getting out of the car by looking in the rear-view mirrors and making sure no other vehicles are approaching.

Also, it is extremely important to wear a light reflective vest before disembarking, whether you have stopped on a light or dark day. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the vest as close to you as possible so that you can reach it quickly if necessary.

Technical assistance usually has to wait for an average of 2 hours.

Vladas Ignotas Pužauskas, head of the call center of the roadside assistance company Euro Asista, warns that during the autumn he often has to answer calls related to changing weather conditions. Lately, drivers are more likely to need help getting stuck, and when the first cold is clicked, drivers are more likely to have battery problems when trying to start a car.

In the event of a car breakdown on the road, drivers are trying to repair them themselves or are waiting for the help of passing drivers. If you cannot solve the problem on your own, you should call the technical support service, which, depending on the time and place, should wait from half an hour to 2 hours.

“Generally, it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to wait for help in the city, unless there is extreme traffic or extreme weather conditions. On the road, if the customer is on main roads, help usually arrives in 1- 2 hours. It all depends on the location and infrastructure of the client, whether it is a forest road or a public road. The arrival time also depends on the situation: if it is a traffic accident or a breakdown, if the car is it has overturned, in a ditch, whether or not special equipment is needed ”, says VI Pužauskas.

When the driver does not understand the faults, it is better not to take risks

At the time, Antanas Petrauskas, deputy director of Automera, which provides technical assistance on the road, warns that drivers often seek help after traffic accidents, starting, unlocking, changing a wheel, removing fuel, breakdowns and mixing fuels.

“The failures of the fall season are not very different from the summer season, but they change with the onset of the cold season. Cold season calls: battery failure, frozen fuel, cooling system freeze and antifreeze check, as well as calls when it starts to snow. Then you have to remove the cars from ditches, patios, fields and forest roads, where the roads are flooded ”, explains A. Petrauskas.

According to him, waiting for technical assistance depends on whether the assistance is called day or night, in the city or on the road.

“It takes about 20 minutes to get to the city during the day and about 30 minutes at night. The road depends on the distance to the city center, the help has to wait 40 minutes to an hour. However, the Arrival time also depends on the availability of free technical assistance carts, especially if there are difficult weather conditions, such as cold, snow, baldness, because there are many calls at that time ”, says A. Petrauskas.

According to him, it is advisable for the driver to fix the faults himself or stop another driver only in cases where the driver himself understands the faults. However, in the case of incomprehensible faults that may jeopardize traffic safety (chassis pictures, unclear engine operation, steering failures, brake failures, tires), it is advisable to call specialists.

In some cases, compulsory insurance can also help

According to Giedrius Petrikas, Head of the Lietuvos Draudimas Transport Claims Department, the services of the roadside technical assistance service are also provided free of charge to those who have insured the vehicle with compulsory third-party liability insurance.

Assistance is provided in taking the car to a service center after an accident, changing a wheel, stretching or helping to start if necessary. However, technical assistance is not provided free of charge if the car is simply damaged and needs to be taken to a service center.

Highlights the most common problems reported – about 31 percent. In some cases, drivers ask for technical assistance when the battery is flat, 18 percent. call asks for help to replace a flat tire. 11 percent of drivers need help unlocking their doors when keys are jammed, another 5 percent. – stretch when stuck.

According to G. Petrikas, without insurance, starting with the help of technical assistance would cost about 58 euros when the battery is discharged and changing a tire, about 65 euros.

“Residents of the regions are more likely to have problems due to a flat tire and a car stuck in the dirt, as well as emergency door unlocking.” In cities, in turn, insurance companies are often used for vehicles that cannot be started. Here too, requests to transport a car after an accident are more frequent, ”says G. Petrikas.

The Technical Assistance Service undertakes to reach the city within 60 minutes at the latest, in the event of an accident on highways and motorways, on asphalt roads of national and regional importance, in 90 minutes, and on other roads, in 180 minutes.