24/7 ServiceUrgent assistance
A flat battery becomes an emergency the moment it leaves you stranded somewhere you did not plan to be. Our business-wide average response time is around 30 minutes, though this is never guaranteed and actual arrival times vary depending on your location, traffic, availability and circumstances. This page covers what to do first, what information gets help to you fastest, and when a roadside jump start is the wrong answer.
Before anything else
Nothing on this page matters more than your position. Read the situation that matches yours before arranging assistance.
Do not stay with the vehicle. Get yourself and any passengers to a place of safety away from traffic, behind a barrier where one exists, and contact the emergency services or the road operator before arranging any assistance.
Motorway incidents are handled by the network operator and the emergency services first. Roadside jump start assistance is not a substitute for that. See our motorway information before doing anything else.
Stay visible, keep hazard lights on if the battery permits, lock the doors if you remain in the vehicle, and tell someone where you are. Share a precise location — a what3words reference or a pin — when you make contact.
A car park bay, a driveway or a quiet side street is a far less urgent situation than it feels. Take a moment to gather the details below, because accurate information is what makes a fast response possible.
Broken down on the motorway network? Read motorway assistance before requesting anything.
In an urgent jump start, the delay is rarely the work at the vehicle — it is establishing where you are and what you are driving. Have these to hand.
Working through these five points, in this order, gets to a clear answer faster than describing the whole story from the beginning.
Start with the postcode, then narrow it down: the street name, the retail park or building name, the car park level, or the nearest visible landmark. If you can share a map pin or a what3words reference, do that too — it removes any ambiguity about which of several similar-looking spots you mean.
Say plainly if you are exposed to traffic, isolated, on your own, or with anyone who needs extra consideration. This is not detail for its own sake — it can change how quickly things are picked up and what you are told to do while you wait.
Make, model, colour and registration. If you know it, mention 12V or 24V, or anything unusual about the battery's location — under a seat, under the floor, or in a step.
Clicking, a slow drawn-out crank, dashboard lights with no crank at all, or complete silence. This single detail shapes what is realistic to expect before anyone sets off.
Height barriers, a locked gate, a permit-only bay, a security desk that needs notice, or an EV charging bay you are currently occupying. Mentioning it now saves time later.
Some places are genuinely hard to describe accurately. Here is what actually helps for each.
Give the car park's name, the level (by number or colour), and the bay number if there is one. Note any height restriction at the barrier and whether payment or an exit ticket is needed to leave once the vehicle is running.
These often share a single postcode across several units. Name the specific store, unit number or building, and describe which side of the site car park you are in relative to the entrance.
A service road running parallel to a main road can share a postcode with the road it serves. Say which direction of travel you were on and what landmark or junction you are nearest to.
Postcodes on private estates can cover dozens of similar-looking properties. Give the plot or house name if the address alone is not distinctive, and mention whether entry needs an intercom, a fob or a code.
Rural postcodes can cover a wide area with no clear house numbers. A what3words reference, a nearby farm or pub name, or a description of the last junction passed is often more useful than the address alone.
If you have the app, opening it gives three words that pin your exact position anywhere, including places with no postcode at all — a field gateway, a beach car park or an unmarked lay-by. Read the three words out clearly when you make contact.
Different circumstances need different handling. Tell us which of these is closest to yours.
The car started perfectly this morning and is dead in a car park two counties away. This is the most common urgent jump start situation and usually the most straightforward, provided the location can be described accurately.
A dead vehicle in a busy car park aisle or a loading bay creates pressure that has nothing to do with the battery. Say so when you get in touch — it changes how the job is prioritised.
A vehicle that will not start at the end of a late shift is a personal safety issue as much as a mechanical one. Get somewhere lit and populated if you can while assistance is arranged.
A flat battery on the way to a ferry, an airport or a booked stay is a timing problem. Be honest about your deadline so you can be told realistically whether roadside jump start assistance fits it.
A driver whose income depends on the vehicle needs a clear answer, not an optimistic one. You will be told what can be attended and when, before anyone travels.
A vehicle that runs on a jump and then fails again shortly afterwards points beyond the battery. Repeated boosting is not a fix and can leave you stranded somewhere worse.
Who is with you, and when it happened, changes how you should wait — not how the vehicle gets fixed.
Keep doors locked, stay in a well-lit and, if possible, populated area, and let someone know where you are and that you are waiting for assistance. Avoid accepting help from unknown vehicles that stop unprompted.
If it is safe to remain in the vehicle, keep children secured and settled inside rather than standing near the carriageway. If you need to move away from traffic, take them with you rather than leaving them in the vehicle.
A pet left in a stationary vehicle can overheat quickly in warm weather, even with windows cracked. If it is safe to do so, take pets with you on a lead when you step away from the vehicle, and never leave them in a hot car while you wait.
Mention this when you make contact. It does not change the mechanics of the job, but it is information worth having if a decision needs making about how you wait.
None of these prevent assistance, but each one takes extra time if it is discovered on arrival rather than mentioned beforehand.
Multi-storey car parks, some retail sites and many private car parks have a height limit at the entrance. If you know it, give the figure — it determines what can get in.
Some locations are only accessible with a code, a fob, or someone available to open a gate. Confirm who will be able to let a vehicle in before assistance is on its way.
Being stuck in a permit bay you do not hold a permit for can bring its own pressure, such as an enforcement notice. Mention this so it is understood as part of the situation.
A flat battery in an EV charging bay is a common and slightly awkward combination — the bay is needed by others, but the vehicle cannot move under its own power. Flag it so arrival can be planned with that in mind.
Underground car parks and older multi-storeys often have narrow bays with pillars close by. There is little that can be done about this in advance, but describing it means it is not a surprise on arrival.
What actually happens
Knowing the sequence makes the wait easier and helps you understand what is being done and why.
You are told what can be attended, based on the details you have given, before anyone sets off — not left to assume.
The person attending uses the location details you provided to find the exact vehicle, which is why a specific bay, level or landmark matters more than a postcode alone.
The vehicle's position, access and the way it is described to be behaving are taken in before anything is connected, so the approach fits the actual circumstances.
Professional starting equipment is connected at the correct points for the vehicle and a start is attempted.
If the vehicle starts, you are told what was seen while it was running. If it does not, you are told plainly what that suggests rather than given a guess, so you can decide the next step.
Being honest about this matters more than getting the call. In these situations, recovery or a garage is the right next step, not another jump start.
Any impact damage, however minor it looks, needs assessing before anything electrical is touched. This is a recovery or garage situation, not a jump start.
Stop immediately and do not attempt to start the vehicle again. This may indicate a fault that a jump start could make worse, and it may need the attention of the emergency services or a garage rather than a boost.
Repeated boosting without the underlying issue being addressed may mean a garage visit is overdue, not another jump start.
If it fires and dies immediately, or will not catch at all after a proper attempt, the fault is likely beyond a discharged battery — a failed battery, the starter, or the charging system. Recovery to a garage may be the more useful next step.
A flat battery is never more urgent than your own safety. If there is any risk to life, contact the emergency services first.
Small decisions in the waiting period make a real difference to how the job goes.
Fill in your details, then send them to us by WhatsApp or email. Mobile service – we come to you.
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