What to do if…
an ABS or traction-control warning light appears while you are driving in poor weather

What to do now

1. Make your stopped position safer first. Keep your hazard warning lights on. If it is dark or visibility is poor, use sidelights so the vehicle is easier to see.

2. If you are on a motorway or other high-speed road, follow breakdown safety before thinking about the warning light.

   • If the car can still be controlled and you are not in a place of relative safety, move only as far as the next safer place, such as a service area, exit, emergency area, lay-by, or hard shoulder.
   • If it is safe to leave the vehicle, get out by the side furthest from traffic and move well away from the vehicle and moving traffic, behind a safety barrier if there is one.
   • If you cannot leave safely, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt and hazard warning lights on, then call 999 and ask for the police.
   • If you need assistance, use the nearest free emergency telephone where provided and safe to reach, or use a mobile phone to call National Highways on 0300 123 5000, then contact your breakdown provider.
   • If you are in an emergency area, use the emergency telephone and follow the operator’s advice before trying to rejoin the carriageway.

3. Check exactly what is lit up. Look for:

   • an ABS warning, traction-control warning, stability-control warning, ESP, or ESC message, often amber;
   • a brake system warning, often red;
   • any “STOP” message or warning telling you not to drive.

4. Treat these signs as “do not drive”. Arrange recovery, or call 999 if you are in an unsafe roadside position, if any of these apply:

   • a red brake warning is showing;
   • an ABS warning appears together with a brake warning;
   • the brake pedal feels soft, sinks, pulses unusually, or feels very different;
   • braking is clearly weaker;
   • you hear grinding, smell burning, see smoke, or see fluid leaking;
   • you do not feel safe rejoining traffic in the conditions.

5. If it is only an amber ABS, traction-control, stability-control, ESP, or ESC warning, and braking feels normal, move only if conditions allow. Drive only to a safer place, a nearby garage, or a recovery meeting point. Use a speed appropriate to the weather and traffic, leave much more space than usual, and avoid sudden braking, steering, or acceleration.

6. Brake and steer as if the assistance systems are not there. Brake early, gently, and progressively. On ice, snow, standing water, or slush, avoid last-second braking and steer smoothly.

7. Save the details for the garage or recovery operator. From a safe position, take a photo of the dashboard warning and note what happened: rain, ice, snow, standing water, slush, braking feel, any noise, and whether the warning stayed on or flashed.

8. Check the vehicle handbook only after you are safe. Dashboard symbols and safe-next-step wording vary by make and model, so use the handbook or in-car message to confirm what that specific warning means.