For drivers, it’s hard to imagine being without a car. Whether you drive every day, just on the weekends, or only when you need to, having a car means freedom, it means independence, and it means not having to use cabs to get where you want to go. So what would you do if your can was off the road? How would you cope if you had an accident or the vehicle needed to have a service? Here are some ideas to help you out.

Find A Good Mechanic

The best thing you can do when you have a car emergency and your vehicle won’t run is to find a good mechanic to carry out whatever auto repairs are necessary. Although this might cost more than you want to spend, it’s far better to get the repairs completed as quickly as possible, otherwise you’ll find you are without your car and potentially losing money because you can’t get to work or see clients, for example.

Make sure you search around for an expert who can help you in the fastest time and do a quality job. Also, make sure you know what you’re going to need to pay; there is sure to be somewhere that suits your budget, so ask ahead of time to ensure you are making the right choice.

Tell Your Friends

If you’re going to be without your car for a while, then it’s a good idea to tell your friends and family. Firstly, they’ll know why you can’t go to visit them, or why you might make plans and then have to cancel.

However, more importantly, if they know you have an issue with your vehicle, they might be able to help. You could be offered lifts or even a spare car for a short while if any of your friends are able to do that. Perhaps you’ll be offered the money in the form of a loan for repairs, as mentioned above. Talking to people is important, and letting people know that your car is off the road is crucial if you want to be able to get your normal life back as soon as you can.

Use Public Transport

Public transport is probably not something you really think about too often; you have a car, after all, so it’s not likely you need to use it. If your vehicle is unusable for a while, then public transport like buses, trains, and the subway could help you immensely, so it’s worth checking out the routes to find out where you might catch public transport and where it could drop you.

Not only will you be able to use public transport to get you to most of the places you want to go, but you’ll also be walking a lot more since you’ll need to start and end each journey on foot. If that doesn’t appeal, think about hiring a cab for this portion of the journey. Although this will become expensive over time, it could work out well if it’s just for a few days.