New driver in the family? A simple Calgary breakdown plan: what to do, what to keep in the car and when to call Dave's Towing, 24/7. 403-272-3944.
Driver training covers shoulder checks and parallel parking, but few new drivers practise what to do when the car sputters to a stop on Stoney Trail at 11 p.m. or won't start in a dark parking lot after a shift in Crowfoot. A few minutes of planning at the kitchen table can turn a scary moment into a manageable one. Here's the simple breakdown plan Dave’s Towing recommends for new Calgary drivers and the parents who worry about them.
Teach this before anything else. If the car starts acting up, signal, move as far off the road as you safely can and turn on the hazard lights. A parking lot, side street or wide shoulder is far better than a live lane.
On busy, high-speed roads like Deerfoot Trail, Stoney Trail or Glenmore Trail, it's often safer to stay buckled in the vehicle than to stand beside traffic. If you do get out, use the side away from traffic and stand well back from the road. If anyone is hurt, the car is on fire or you feel unsafe, call 911 right away.
Dispatchers can only find you as fast as you can describe where you are. Practise noticing the road name, the community you're in, direction of travel and the last exit or cross street you passed. A phone's map app can show your location too, and it's a great skill to practise before you need it. Saying something like "northbound Deerfoot, just past the McKnight exit" helps a tow truck reach you much faster than "somewhere on Deerfoot."
Save the numbers your new driver needs in their phone ahead of time: a parent or guardian, your roadside plan if you have one, and Dave’s Towing at 403-272-3944. Decide together who they call first, and make sure they know it's always okay to call for help, no matter the hour.
When they call us, the key details are the location, the vehicle's year, make and model, what happened, and where the car should go. If it's an AWD vehicle, mention it. We may send a flatbed.
Calgary weather can change fast, and a cold wait is much easier with a few basics on hand, especially on a January night when the wind is blowing across the Crowchild bridge. Consider keeping these in the car:
Most breakdowns aren't dramatic. Dead batteries on cold mornings, flat tires, running out of fuel and locking the keys in the car are some of the calls we get most. Our roadside assistance service covers boosts, tire changes, fuel delivery and lockouts, so many of these don't need a tow at all.
Winter adds its own challenges. Sliding into a snowy ditch on a rural road near Cochrane or Chestermere happens to experienced drivers too. Teach your new driver not to keep spinning the tires, since that can dig the car in deeper. Our winching and ditch recovery team can pull the car out safely.
It also helps to show your new driver the basics at home: where the spare tire and jack are kept, how to pop the hood, and where the fuel door release is. They don't need to fix anything themselves, but knowing their own car makes them calmer when something goes wrong.
Make sure new drivers know that safety comes first, then calling for help. After a crash they should check for injuries, call 911 if needed, and follow police and insurance instructions on exchanging information and reporting. If the vehicle can't be driven, our accident towing service can take it to a body shop or another safe location.
The best breakdown plan is one that's set up before it's needed. Take five minutes tonight to save Dave’s Towing in your new driver's phone: 403-272-3944. We're open 24/7 across Calgary and the surrounding area, and our team is happy to help a nervous new driver through the process. Questions? Visit our contact page.
