Ask a Trooper: What should you do if steam or smoke is coming from your vehicle?

Ask a Trooper by Sgt. Jesse Grabow of the Minnesota State Patrol

Question: While traveling I see a lot of vehicles pulled over on the side of the road with either steam or smoke coming from the vehicle. Can you talk about what a person should do in these situations?

Answer: When dealing with a vehicle that is overheating, most vehicles have dashboard gauges or lights that indicate the engine temperature. Activities such as driving in stop-and-go traffic on a hot day, driving on steep inclines, and towing a trailer can cause your engine to run hotter than normal. When your engine becomes hot, turn off any unnecessary vehicle equipment, such as air conditioning. If the temperature is still too high, turning on the heater will help draw hot air away from the engine. If these techniques do not work and the engine temperature suddenly increases or steam rises from the engine, pull over to the side of the road, stop the vehicle, and turn off the ignition immediately.

If you notice smoke rising from beneath the hood of your vehicle, pull off the road, turn off the ignition, and exit the vehicle immediately. Do not use water to put out the fire — this will actually spread the blaze.

In both situations, be careful when exiting your vehicle and get to a place of safety so you are not hit by other traffic. Call 911 and provide the information the dispatcher requests.

A portion of state statutes were used with permission from the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56501-2205. You can follow him on X @MSPPIO_NW or reach him at jesse.grabow@state.mn.us.