What To Do if You Drive into a Ditch

If you drive into a ditch, there is a specific set of guidelines you should follow, regardless of your location or the time of day. Continue reading to learn the first 4 tasks to cover after driving into a ditch, including how to get out safely.

Indianapolis Roadside Assistance & Towing 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Roadside Assistance & Towing 317-247-8484

First and Foremost: SAFETY

Your first priority should always be safety. This is especially true for busy streets and highways. First, take a look at yourself and your passengers to confirm whether or not injuries were incurred during the slide off. If someone is hurt, including yourself, contact 911 emergency services immediately.

If no one is hurt, put your parking brake on to prevent further sliding or movement. Do not step out of your car until you are sure there is not oncoming traffic. In fact, it is wise to get out of the passenger door (or whichever door does not face the street).

Sometimes, you do not need to get out of the car if it can simply be driven back onto the road. But for larger and steeper ditches, driving out might present more of a challenge. In this case, move onto the next guideline below.

Second: Change the Load Weight

If your car is not driving out of the ditch, you may need to alter the load weight. This means changing around your cargo to allow better inertia. If you do not have much cargo, then this may not be a necessary step. If you do have cargo, take out as much as you can, and then try to drive out of the ditch, Lighter weight sometimes helps give a vehicle the boost it needs. On the other hand, if you are stuck in snow or mud, more weight is better.

Third: Improve Traction

Things like rock, gravel, sand, and dirt can make your tires spin in place, rather than spring you from the ditch. If this is your problem, try adding some extra traction behind each tire. Use anything that can work, including floor mats, wood boards, cardboard, paper, and even clothing. For front wheel drive vehicles, place the items in the front of the tires.

Fourth: Call for Roadside Assistance

If none of the above methods work for you, your best option is to call a 24 hour roadside assistance service for prompt and professional towing recovery. They have the resources to pull your car out of a ditch, safely and conveniently.

Who to Trust for Dependable 24 Hour Roadside Assistance

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for affordably-priced 24 hour emergency roadside assistance in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. We offer 24 hour service, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Regardless of your roadside assistance needs, we are fully-equipped and always on-duty to help. Choose from fuel delivery, lockout service, jump starts, and more.

How to Plan to Your Vehicle’s Maintenance Schedule

It is very important to adhere to your vehicle’s maintenance schedule to maintain optimal automotive performance. However, many first-time car owners question when and how often to have these services done.  If you ask several car owners this same question, you will likely get a bunch of different answers.  Furthermore, if you were to ask just any local mechanic, they may not give you accurate advice since their top-priority is selling you on as many services as you’ll agree to.

If you want to develop a sufficient and effective vehicle maintenance plan, you must turn to the right sources. Continue reading to learn where to begin on your car care plan, as well as, what your options are if you ever find yourself stuck on the side of the road with a malfunctioning vehicle.

Indianapolis Roadside Assistance and Towing 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Roadside Assistance and Towing 317-247-8484

Vehicle Manufacturers

The best place to start when questioning your car’s maintenance needs and schedule is the vehicle manufacturer company.  This is going to be your best source of vehicle maintenance information. They can offer the exact details for routine maintenance for your specific make, model and year.  If you purchased the car from a used dealership and do not retain the vehicle manufacturer information booklet,simply go online to the manufacturer’s website and download the information there.

Minimal Vehicle Maintenance

The manufacturer pamphlet with outline the basic maintenance and scheduling for your car type; however, this is only the bare minimum and a vague estimate.  If you are regularly in stop-and-go traffic, or drive excessively or long distances, then your car will require more routine maintenance than the ones suggested by the manufacturer. 

Here is a list of recommended routine maintenance that most vehicles require on a regular basis:

☑ Engine Oil Replacement

☑ Filter Changes (air, engine, fuel, etc.)

☑ Oil Changes

☑ Tire Rotations

☑ Chassis Lube

☑ Coolant Replacements

☑ Axel Services

☑ Battery Charging/Replacements

☑ Timing Belt

For most vehicles, an oil change is required every 5,000miles or every six months; whichever comes first.  For all other maintenance suggested, they are usually performed every 30,000 miles or so, depending on the amount of driving done.  Keep in mind that these timing schedules will widely differ from vehicle to vehicle.

If you find yourself stuck on the side of the road with an automotive roadside emergency, contact an Indianapolis roadside assistance service for help getting back on the road, safely.

Indianapolis Towing and Roadside Assistance

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for prompt, 24 hour towing and roadside assistance in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. Our licensed towing and recovery division retains an extensive fleet of over 35 tow trucks and wrecker equipment, allowing us to assist drivers 24 hours a day, 7days a week, and 365 days a year, rain, snow, or ice. Request a free estimate,anytime.

Types of Customers We Serve at Zore’s Towing

Here at Zore’s Towing, we serve a wide range of customers with our extensive fleet of tow trucks and recovery vehicles. Continue below to view all the different types of customers we serve, and see just where you fit on the list!

Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance

Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

👫 Single Customers

Whether you are a vehicle owner, renter, leaser, or somewhere in between, Zore’s Towing provides individual towing and recovery services for anyone in the state. When you have a car accident, we can provide the towing and clearance services in a moment’s notice. If you need to transport a vehicle or large commodity across the city or state, we have the fleet to manage your cargo safely. We also provide 24 hour roadside assistance for flat tires, lockouts, no fuel, and more!

🚚 Commercial Accounts

Commercial accounts are another big part of who we serve here at Zore’s Towing. Such clientele primarily includes large commercial trucking companies who require 24 hour roadside assistance for breakdowns, emergencies, recoveries, and more. We know how impactful it can be having a commercial truck out of service, which is why we promptly manage such cases with your bottom line in mind!

🏢 Private Property Customers

Anyone who owns private real estate, whether commercial or residential, does not want abandoned vehicles or illegally parked cars on their premises. This is where Zore’s Towing can help. We are on call, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, to assist private property owners with unwanted vehicle removal. We retain comprehensive knowledge of all local and state statutes and legal requirements, allowing us to provide safe and secure property management services.

🚓 Government Contracts

Zore’s Towing retains comprehensive knowledge of all evidentiary and local government requirements. This allows us to work alongside various fire and law enforcement departments and government agencies to provide vehicle impound and transportation services, city and state training and safety programs, traffic incident management (TIM) services, controlled rolls, water recovery, wrecker service, and more. We are also involved with several community services and work closely with the Hoosier Helper Tool.

🚙 Automotive Repair Shops

It is common practice for auto repair shops to get customers who need to have their car towed to their lot. In such cases, many automotive shops choose Zore’s Towing for their on-call towing account. With a wide fleet of tow trucks available 24 hours a day, we are always prepared to get your customer’s vehicles to you as soon as possible, regardless of their car’s condition or location. We serve all of Indianapolis, as well as, all areas within Central Indiana.

🏆 Motor Clubs

Another valued towing client includes Motor Clubs. All those fancy cars you see at shows and exhibits are not usually driven to their destination. In order to retain the aesthetic and mechanical integrity of specialty cars, careful transportation is required. Here at Zore’s Towing, local motor clubs know that we retain the proper fleet of flatbed tow trucks to safely transport exotic and high-valued vehicles, safely and efficiently.

Your Indiana Towing and Recovery Service

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484

Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for friendly 24 hour towing and recovery in Indiana. We open a family-owned and operated business for 90 years, so you can trust us for prompt and professional service. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, so our certified tow truck operators can be there for you anytime, any day! Request free estimates, anytime.