Stranded on I-285? Here's What to Do Right Now

Why I-285 Breakdowns Are High-Risk

I-285 — Atlanta's perimeter highway — circles the city for 63.7 miles through some of the most congested interstate corridors in the United States. It carries a mix of commuter traffic, long-haul freight, and regional travelers at high speed, often with minimal shoulder space and complex interchange geometries. Being stranded on I-285 is genuinely dangerous, particularly near Spaghetti Junction (I-285/I-85 north), the I-20 west interchange, and the I-75 south interchange — all locations where high-speed traffic merges from multiple directions with limited shoulder clearance.

The first priority after a breakdown on I-285 is not calling for help — it is getting yourself out of a position where a secondary collision could injure you. Every year, highway breakdown scenes in Georgia result in secondary crashes where emergency vehicles and stranded motorists are struck by inattentive or distracted drivers. The steps below address safety first, then the logistics of getting towed.

Step-by-Step: What to Do on I-285

1. Don't brake hard — coast to the right. If your car loses power or a tire blows, ease off the accelerator gradually and steer smoothly toward the right shoulder. Avoid abrupt braking, which can destabilize the vehicle and confuse following drivers.
2. Pull as far right as possible. Get your vehicle fully onto the shoulder — not just the right lane. If you cannot reach the shoulder, stop as close to the right lane line as possible and immediately activate hazard lights.
3. Activate hazard lights immediately. Do this before you do anything else — even before picking up your phone. Hazard lights are the universal signal to approaching traffic that you are disabled.
4. Stay in your vehicle. On I-285, staying inside the car with your seatbelt fastened is almost always safer than standing on the shoulder. The exception is if your vehicle is in a travel lane and you can safely exit to a guard rail or barrier — in that case, exit from the passenger side away from traffic.
5. Call 911 if you are in a dangerous position. If your vehicle is in a travel lane, partially blocking traffic, or if anyone is injured, call 911 first. Georgia State Patrol can dispatch quickly to protect your scene.
6. Call a towing company. Give the dispatcher your I-285 exit number or mile marker, your direction of travel (inner loop or outer loop), your vehicle description, and whether you need roadside assistance (flat tire, battery) or a tow.
7. Turn on interior lights at night. If you break down after dark, turning on your interior dome light helps other drivers see that your vehicle is occupied and slightly improves your visibility to approaching traffic.

HERO Units on I-285

GDOT operates a fleet of HERO (Highway Emergency Response Operator) trucks that patrol I-285 and other Atlanta-area interstates during peak hours. HERO operators can push your vehicle to a safer location, change a tire, provide a jump start, add a gallon of fuel, or call for a tow — all at no charge to you.

To reach a HERO unit, call 511 on your phone and follow the prompts for roadside assistance. You can also flag down a passing HERO truck if one is visible. Note that HERO coverage is concentrated during morning and evening peak hours; outside those windows, response times are longer. If it is the middle of the night or an off-peak period, calling a towing company directly is generally faster than waiting for HERO dispatch.

I-285 Sections With Limited Shoulders

Not all of I-285 has adequate shoulder space. The following segments are particularly constrained and require extra caution:

• Spaghetti Junction (I-285/I-85 north, Exits 33–34): Multi-level elevated interchange with narrow to zero shoulder. If you break down in the interchange, call 911 immediately.
• I-285/I-75 north (Exit 20): High-merge-volume section with lane drops — limited shoulder on outer loop approach.
• I-285/GA-400 (Exit 27): Complex weave with short acceleration lanes — limited breakdown refuge on the inner loop near the interchange.
• I-285 over the Chattahoochee River (near Exit 16): Bridge sections have no practical shoulder — coast past the bridge if possible before stopping.

GDOT NaviGAtor Cameras

GDOT's NaviGAtor system monitors I-285 continuously with overhead cameras. If you are stranded and visible to a camera, GDOT operators may dispatch HERO or law enforcement to your location even before you call. However, do not rely on this — camera density varies by segment and operators cannot monitor every feed simultaneously. Always call for help yourself.