The Philippines is brimming with breathtaking sites, whether for epic road journeys or quick weekend vacations. Our gateways to these places are roads that have been built with the main purpose of connecting one city to another.

When traveling to and from the majority of these destinations by land, avoid the congestion on the highways by taking the NLEX and SLEX, which are the smoothest and quickest routes. After all, the journey matters, just like the destination.

As with many other experiences, though, occasional mishaps happen. It is in these rare circumstances that the expressways may become a nightmare for stranded motorists.

A driver should always be prepared by knowing how to deal with roadside emergencies, but if by chance it happens along our two major thoroughfares, Drivesafe has listed some important things for you to know and remember.

NLEX

The NLEX runs a length of 101.8 kilometers from a cloverleaf-shaped interchange in Quezon City, where it meets with the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Bonifacio Avenue. It is your gateway to the many breathtaking destinations of the north, including Pampanga, Subic, Baguio, and Pagudpud.

For safety, NLEX made sure to have the following:

1. Emergency call boxes are throughout. 

These call boxes have multi-modal communication features that allow motorists to reach out to traffic operation centers or emergency response teams. 

Parking bays or lay-bys are located at regular intervals.

An off-street area for parking two or more vehicles so as not to disturb the flow of traffic. This area is made available for drivers who has to stop for a quick break from a long drive or for any other emergencies along NLEX.

3. Speed Stopping Lanes

If you lose your brakes while on a high speed, you may look for Speed Stopping Lanes where you can do a full stop if you are about to enter the Balintawak Toll Plaza and the Karuhatan Toll Plaza in Valenzuela if you are coming in from the NLEX Harbor Link.

Speed-stopping lanes are 150 meters long and 5 meters wide, with 300 cubic meters of light pebbles to stop the force of oncoming vehicles. 

4. Impact Attenuators

They also have Impact Attenuators or crush cushions, which are designed to reduce the damage in cases of motor vehicle collisions.

5. Battery delivery and installation service providers

In case of a dead battery, there is a long list of battery delivery and installation service providers you can choose from. 

Top-rated providers include:

Morolite & Prelli Performance Centre

0917-539-6787

Motolite 24/7 

8370-6686

or

24/7 Roadside Assistance

8373-5617

0920786313 

24/7 Road Assistance also does Onsite Fuel Delivery, Jumpstart Dead Batteries, and Car Lockout Services.

6. Emergency contact persons on standby

For all other emergencies, remember that you can always call for help. Save the NLEX-SCTEX emergency hotline number on your contacts at (02)1-3500. You can call them anytime for emergency towing services and incident response.

7. There are about 19 gasoline and service stations scattered on both sides of the NLEX. 

While most of them are open 24 hours, some open at 6 AM and close at 12AM like the CALTEX in San Fernando; PETRON in Marilao; and SHELL in Guiguinto.

SLEX

The SLEX, on the other hand, is the best route for travelers coming from and going to the provinces down south. The controlled-access highway launches from an intersection with Quirino Avenue and passes through Cavite and Laguna, and sets a termination at an exit in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. 

For safety, SLEX made sure to have the following:

1. SLEX came up with this acronym to help motorists remember important notes better

2. Battery delivery services

In case your car battery goes dead, here are the top-rated battery delivery services near the SLEX:

3. Gas and service stations

The following Gas and Service Stations have active contacts numbers and are open 24 hours:

4. Customer Service Centers

If you have queries about SLEX, remember that they have a Customer Service Center at the Nichols Toll Plaza, which opens daily from 8:30 AM until 5:30 PM or you can call the SLEX hotline at 5318-8655 and wait for their emergency response unit to arrive. If you are not sure what to do, never attempt to repair your vehicle on your own.

For naturally caused emergencies such as earthquakes, typhoons, or flash floods, size up this:

First things first. You have to make sure you are safe. Slowly direct your vehicle to the left side, and do not hit the brake suddenly. If you can’t, to the right side, just leave the center of the road open for emergency vehicles and the police. As much as possible, look for an open area safe from any falling objects. 

No one likes being stranded on the road, and each of us traversing the long NLEX or SLEX roads would do anything to avoid mishaps. But these things on the road happen, and it is best to be prepared when it does. 

Preparedness is key to safety, and DriveSafe PH has got you covered in this regard. Drivesafe PH is the 1st LTO Accredited Online Theoretical Driving Course Provider that provides accessibility to Defensive Driving Education to future Filipino drivers, who would like to take the first step in Road Safety.