Breakdown on the A43: your rights and what really happens

First steps (and what the law says)

On the motorway, the rule is strict: hazard lights, high-visibility vest before getting out, and everyone behind the safety barrier — never in the vehicle or on the hard shoulder. A warning triangle is not required on the motorway when placing it puts you in danger.

A point many people do not know: on the concession network (A43, A46, A432…), you do not choose your recovery operator. Only recovery operators approved by the motorway company may intervene, at regulated fares set by decree. Call from an orange emergency phone or 112; your assistance provider can not send its own recovery operator onto the carriageway.

The actual process: recovery operator first, assistance afterwards

• The approved recovery operator removes you from the motorway — to their workshop or a safe area. This stage is at the regulated fare (around €150 to €200 depending on the time and vehicle weight, revised annually), which your assistance provider reimburses under most contracts.
• It is once you are off the carriageway that your assistance contract takes over: diagnosis, repair or immobilisation, and above all the question that concerns us — how do you continue your journey?
• If the vehicle is immobilised, your contract generally provides a mobility solution: onward travel, return home or waiting on site. This is where a private-hire car sent by assistance comes to collect you and your passengers.

What the "onward travel" cover (really) includes

Contracts vary, but there are three typical options, at the beneficiary's choice and within limits: onward travel to the original destination, return home for all passengers, or waiting on site (hotel) if the repair is quick.

A real case we see regularly: a family on the way to Saint-Exupéry breaks down on the A43, with a flight in 3 hours. Once the vehicle has been towed, assistance sends us to collect the family from the recovery operator and take them to the airport — the flight is saved in most cases if the case is opened promptly. Hence the importance of calling assistance during towing, not afterwards.

Distance excess: the 50 km trap

Many "manufacturer" or basic insurance contracts only activate assistance beyond a certain distance from home (often 50 km) — unless you have the "0 km" option. A breakdown in Saint-Priest when you live in Lyon may therefore not be covered, while the same breakdown on the way back from the Alps is. Check this line of your contract before you need it; the 0 km option generally costs a few euros a year.

Our advice, from the transport operator's side

• State your time constraint (flight, train, medical appointment) from the first call to assistance: the mission is prioritised differently.
• Count passengers and luggage : a family of 5 with suitcases needs a van — saying so from the start avoids waiting for a second vehicle.
• Keep the case number and the recovery operator's name: coordination between the garage and the assigned driver is quicker.

ONLY VTC operates on behalf of assistance providers in the eastern Lyon area — A43/A46/eastern bypass sector, Saint-Exupéry airport — and over a wide zone from Villefranche-sur-Saône to Vienne and Bourgoin-Jallieu, 24/7, with short approach times thanks to drivers spread across the whole area. Our entire service is presented on the page Assistance & repatriation. Partnerships contact: contact@onlyvtc.fr.

Frequently asked questions