What to Do When Your Car Breaks Down on I-75 in Atlanta

I-75 through Atlanta is one of the least forgiving places in Georgia to lose a vehicle. Traffic moves fast even when it's heavy, shoulders narrow without warning near the connector, and there are stretches where the only thing between you and the travel lanes is a painted line. What you do in the first sixty seconds matters more than anything that happens later.

Get as far from moving traffic as you safely can

If the vehicle is still rolling, use that momentum. An exit ramp, a wide shoulder, a gore area or a lot just off the highway is dramatically safer than stopping in a live lane. Coast toward the right if you can do it without cutting across traffic. If the car dies in a left lane and you can't cross safely, do not try to force it — stay put, hazards on, and call 911.

Make yourself visible

• Turn on your hazard lights immediately, before you do anything else.
• At night, leave your headlights on so approaching drivers can judge your position.
• Keep your seatbelt fastened if traffic is passing close to the vehicle.
• Only set out reflective triangles if you can do it without walking into a travel lane.

Decide whether to stay in the car

There is no universal answer, and anyone who gives you one is oversimplifying. On a narrow interstate shoulder with traffic a few feet away, staying belted inside the vehicle is often the safer choice — the car is a barrier. If there is a guardrail with space behind it, or a grassy embankment well away from the road, moving there and waiting can be safer, particularly if you're worried about being struck. Exit through the passenger side, away from traffic, if you do get out.

If anyone is injured, the vehicle is in a travel lane, or you feel you are in immediate danger, call 911 first. Towing comes second.

Know your location before you call

The single biggest delay in Atlanta roadside calls is a vague location. "On 75" covers dozens of miles and two directions. Before you dial, look for three things: the highway, your direction of travel (northbound or southbound), and the nearest exit number or mile marker. Your phone's map can also give you a cross street or a dropped pin. That detail turns a search into a direct route.

What to tell the towing company

• Exact location: highway, direction, nearest exit or mile marker.
• What happened — it stopped running, a tire blew, it overheated, it won't start.
• Vehicle year, make and model, and whether it rolls, steers and shifts to neutral.
• Where the vehicle needs to go if it can't be driven.
• How many people are with you, including children.

One FCRA customer described getting a flat around 4:27 AM on I-75 North and calling several companies before someone came out. Overnight interstate calls are routine for us. If you're stopped on I-75 in the Atlanta area, call (404) 915-3463 and we'll work through it with you.