For a car breakdown on a PLUS highway in Malaysia, the number is PLUSLine, 1-800-88-0000, toll-free and answered round the clock. If anyone is hurt, the car is stuck in a live lane or there's a fire, call 999 instead. Whichever number you need, get everybody out of the car and behind the roadside barrier first.
The numbers
| Who | Number | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency services (police, fire, ambulance) | 999 | Injuries, fire, a car blocking a live lane, anything dangerous |
| PLUSLine (PLUS expressways, including the North-South Expressway) | 1-800-88-0000 | Breakdowns and incidents on PLUS roads; also the roadside emergency telephones, about every 2 km |
| LLM Traffic Management Centre | 1-800-88-7752 | Traffic and incidents on the highways LLM oversees |
Other highways have their own concessionaires and helplines, usually printed on signs along the road. Save all three in your phone before a long drive. Our list of emergency numbers for drivers in Malaysia has the rest.
What to do, in order
- If the car will still move, get off the highway at the next exit or into an R&R. If it won't, signal left and get as far onto the emergency lane as you can.
- Hazard lights on. This is what they're for: a stationary car.
- Get everyone out on the left side, away from the traffic, and over or behind the roadside barrier. Malaysia's road safety institute, MIROS, is clear that people should gather outside the barrier, not stand beside the car.
- If you can do it safely, put the warning triangle (or cones, or a torch at night) about 30 metres behind the car. Walk back along the far side of the barrier where you can. If it isn't safe, skip it.
- Call. PLUSLine for a PLUS road, the highway's own number elsewhere, 999 if it's an emergency. Say which highway, which direction, and the nearest kilometre post or the last exit you passed.
- Wait behind the barrier. At night, a reflective vest or a phone torch makes you visible to the patrol truck.
What not to do: don't try to fix the car or change a tyre in the emergency lane. MIROS warns that it's dangerous, with traffic passing a metre or two away at highway speed. Leave a highway flat tyre to the patrol team or a tow truck.
What happens next
On PLUS expressways the patrol team, PLUSRonda, works 24 hours a day. They can carry out minor repairs at the roadside or tow a car (Class 1 vehicles) to the nearest toll plaza or R&R. From there you arrange your own tow or mechanic, or your insurer's.
Be careful with tow trucks that arrive without being called. Use a tow arranged by the highway patrol, your insurer or, in a rental, the rental company. Bank Negara's motor claims guide gives the same advice after an accident; our car accident guide explains why.
In a rental car
Get yourself safe first, as above, then call the rental company before agreeing to any tow or repair. For a Grandpride car, call +6010 322 3223 or use the numbers on Grandpride's contact page CHECK: Grandpride's breakdown line outside showroom hours, and whether Grandpride arranges the tow and a replacement car. Don't let anyone take the car to a workshop of their choosing. Our guide to a rental car breakdown covers who pays for what.
Is highway towing free?
PLUS doesn't state a price for PLUSRonda's tow to the nearest toll plaza or R&R on its own page, so ask when you call. Beyond that point, a private tow is paid for by you, your insurer's roadside cover, or the rental company, depending on who arranged it.
What should be in the car before a long drive?
A warning triangle, a torch, a reflective vest, a charged phone and water. Check the spare tyre and the tyre pressure before you set off, and look at the coolant if you're heading for a long climb like the Karak and Genting. Every car in the Grandpride rental fleet is handed over at the showroom or delivered to you, and that's the moment to check where the triangle and spare are kept CHECK: does every Grandpride rental carry a warning triangle and a spare or a tyre repair kit?.
Which highway am I on?
If you're not sure, look for the kilometre posts and the route number on the signs (E1, E2, E8 and so on), or open your map app, which shows the highway name. Our guide to the highways around Kuala Lumpur explains which concessionaire runs which road, so you know whose helpline to call.
