3 min read
How to Stay Safe While Waiting for Roadside Assistance on I-76
The Schuylkill has almost no shoulder in long stretches and curves that hide a stopped car until the last second. Treat a breakdown here as an emergency.
The shoulder problem
Between the Girard and South Street exits, and along the river curves, there are places where the shoulder is barely a car wide or missing entirely. If you can keep rolling at low speed with hazards on to reach an exit ramp or a wider shoulder, that is usually the safer choice.
Position and visibility
Hazards on, wheels turned away from traffic, and as far right as the guardrail allows. At night, leave interior lights off but hazards running — you want the car readable as a stopped obstacle, not a distraction.
Wait inside, belted
Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt fastened. Do not change a tire on the driver's side of a car stopped on I-76. Wait for us or for a state or highway response unit to protect the scene.
What to tell us
Eastbound or westbound, the nearest exit or landmark — City Avenue, Montgomery Drive, South Street, Passyunk Avenue — and whether you are on the shoulder or in a lane. If you're in a lane, call 911 first.