If my vehicle breaks down, how long can I leave it on the side of the road?

This is an excellent question. The short answer is: it depends.

The length of time you can leave a vehicle on the side of the road varies greatly from state to state and city to city. Depending on your location, you may have as little as a few hours or as much as a few days to move the vehicle.

It’s important that you make every effort to park the vehicle where it does not impede traffic. If that is not possible, then it will be towed immediately, often for a hefty fee.

If the vehicle is parked safely on the shoulder or side of the road, then you have considerably more time. Most police officers try to remove a vehicle parked on the side of a busy interstate within 4 to 6 hours. If it’s parked on the side of a regular road, then they will tag it and tow it within 24 to 72 hours.

The best way to answer this question in your local state is to go to the official state website and search for “abandoned vehicle”. For example, a search for “abandoned vehicle” on Texas.gov gives us this:

“Sec. 683.002. ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) For the purposes of this chapter, a motor vehicle is abandoned if the motor vehicle:

(1) is inoperable, is more than five years old, and has been left unattended on public property for more than 48 hours;

(2) has remained illegally on public property for more than 48 hours;

(3) has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in charge of the property for more than 48 hours;

(4) has been left unattended on the right-of-way of a designated county, state, or federal highway for more than 48 hours;

(5) has been left unattended for more than 24 hours on the right-of-way of a turnpike project constructed and maintained by the Texas Turnpike Authority division of the Texas Department of Transportation or a controlled access highway; “

While a search for “abandoned vehicle” on the Tennessee website (tn.gov) gives us this:

“If you encounter an emergency that requires you to abandon your vehicle on the side of the road, try your best to leave the vehicle in a location that does not impede traffic.  Again, turning your wheels to the right is a good idea.”

“Tennessee law states you have 48 hours to remove a vehicle before it is towed.  Abandoned vehicles may be legally removed from the roadway if left for more than 48 hours.  However, if a vehicle is left in a place that interferes or impedes traffic, that vehicle can be towed immediately.  If towed by THP, the vehicle will be taken to a local towing lot.  You can contact the THP District Headquarters in the area where you left your car to find out where the vehicle was towed.”

It’s always best to fix or tow your vehicle as soon as possible to avoid tickets, towing fees, and impound lot fees, as well as prevent damage from criminal activity.

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