BREAKDOWN PATROLS

There's nothing worse for the DIY-agnostic car enthusiast than getting a phone call from someone asking what's wrong with their motor. “Any idea why it won’t turn over, mate?” “It wasn’t making that knocking noise yesterday.” “Should the sump have water in it?” You want to help, but armed with such scarce information and not being au fait with the mechanical intricacies of every car ever made, you can only do so much.

- BY FELIX PAGE

Now imagine getting that call 10 times a day, and not having the option of pleading ignorance because there's someone on the other end of the line who desperately needs your assistance, and they're not having a good time. They might be stuck hundreds of miles from home, stranded on the driveway with screaming kids in the back or shivering in a supermarket car park in the rain.

For a breakdown patrol, it’s all part of the job. But these unsung heroes of the hard shoulder deserve far more recognition than they get for keeping the roads flowing and the lay-bys empty, often putting themselves in danger to get us back to safety.