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Pedestrian killed on Highway 401. That headline appeared the day after our interview with Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Cam Woolley, providing an exclamation point to his advice on how to survive on the area's 400-series highways if your vehicle breaks down.

Woolley says that while the 400-series highways are rated among the safest in North America "for drivers" they can be deadly for stopped vehicles and for pedestrians.

The OPP investigates more than 200 incidents a year in and around Toronto involving vehicles that have stopped and been hit by another car or truck.

"We see it all the time," Woolley says. "We've had motorists, tow truck operators and policemen badly injured and killed. Drowsiness, a moment's inattention, being cut off; then it comes down to physics, a vehicle travelling 100 km/h hitting a stopped vehicle. You work it out."

Obviously stopping on 400 highways isn't a good idea, but it's also against the law to stop for any reason other than an emergency. And that doesn't mean changing a diaper, or calling home to see what you should pick up for dinner, says Woolley.

But sometimes you have no choice and there are a number of things it is good to know at times like this. We'll point some out here, but circumstances may not always allow you follow these suggestions. The best thing to be equipped with is common sense.

If you do experience car problems, a stumbling or stalled engine, a flat tire or overheating, getting on to a shoulder as quickly and safely as possible is your immediate priority. Stopping in a "live" traffic lane is the last thing you want to do, says Woolley.

"If you're in the passing lane and feel your engine hesitating, don't stay there, signal and start making your way to the shoulder." In some cases you won't have a choice, but the worst place to pull over is the left shoulder, next best the right shoulder, with an exit ramp or a service centre even better alternatives.

If you have a flat tire, he suggests moving to the right shoulder if possible, activating your four-way flashers and then driving along slowly until you can get to an exit ramp, then pulling it along until you are in a safe area.

While this may damage the tire or rim, he says, getting out of harm's way could be saving your life. This is particularly true if you are going to change the tire yourself. You must be in a secure place before attempting to do so.

Which brings us to the question should you stay in a disabled car or get out?

Unfortunately the only answer to that one, Woolley says, is "it depends." If you are in a dangerously exposed place you could be better off getting out and placing yourself in a more secure area as far from the active lanes as possible. Usually this will be ahead of your vehicle, "downstream" from the traffic flow past it. In the case of a multi-car accident that has stopped traffic you could be better off staying in the car until all traffic has come to a full stop. Pulling on to a shoulder might be an option, but this may block the arrival of emergency vehicles.

A cellphone is obviously the best thing to have available in a roadside emergency and coverage is generally good on all the major routes, but if you don't have one or there is no coverage, having a plastic "Call Police" sign that clips on your side window is a good idea. "These are great, we get a lot of calls based on them," says Woolley.

If you don't have either, four-way-flashers and a raised hood will usually be interpreted as a signal of distress, causing someone to pull over and offer assistance, or call it in. However, he warns that, particularly at night, it might be wise to assess a Good Samaritan through a partly opened window before getting out.

Offering assistance to other motorists is another ambiguous issue. Woolley says you are exposing yourself to danger (people have been killed while rendering aid) and if your vehicle is hit you could face insurance coverage problems.

"We don't want to tell people not to help. But if you do stop don't put yourself in danger," says Woolley. Often the best thing to do is call the police.

When calling for help it's always good to know exactly where you are. Police and emergency dispatchers aren't necessarily local people, says Woolley, so telling one you're parked next to the red barn on Highway 400 may not be a big help in locating you.

It's a good practice while driving along to take note of exit or other highways signs you are passing to make locating you easier. Compass directions -- north, south, east west -- on some highways can be confusing, but stating what city you are heading toward, Toronto-bound, Niagara-bound for example, will help. You should also inform the dispatcher of what shoulder, left or right, you are pulled over on and, of course, whether you are in the core or collector lanes.

By providing incorrect information on your location in an emergency situation you can seriously delay the arrival of help, even get it sent to the wrong place altogether.

If you are passing an accident scene or a stalled or disabled vehicle, don't "rubberneck," says Woolley. People tend to drive where they are looking and this can cause you to drift towards the vehicle parked at the side of the road. Dropping a wheel on to an unpaved shoulder could pull you into a collision.

Woolley also points out that Ontario law requires motorists passing police or emergency vehicles with lights flashing to slow down to a safe speed and pass with care, and where it is possible and safe to do so move over a lane.

benglish@globeandmail.ca