LUNCHTIME and I'm parked up in the corner of a petrol station forecourt with RAC patrolman Matt Wilkinson. As we chat and eat our chicken fajitas, there's a loud knock on the van window.

Matt leans out to speak to a distressed motorist who's petrified about a flashing light on her dashboard. For Matt there is no respite from his job.

He patiently accompanies the driver over to the car and reassures her that the light needs to be reset by a garage. Would I have been as patient if I were interrupted mid-bite? Probably not.

A day spent on the road with a breakdown patrol and you soon realise two things.

Firstly, they really are the fourth emergency service. Secondly, it's fairly lonely work when you're driving from one faulty vehicle to another.

At 28, Matt Wilkinson heads a team of 12 other patrolmen who all individually work in shifts to cover the south coast.

So far, it's been a busy morning and we've rescued several stricken motorists already, from Bournemouth to Lymington.

Admittedly, the extent of the repairs has only been as challenging as tightening a loose windscreen wiper and taking an automatic out of gear.

But still, it was impressive how relieved every driver was to see us when we arrived at the roadside.

"Breaking down is a horrible and unexpected experience. It leaves you very vulnerable. I have a position of responsibility and the public should be able to have complete confidence in me," says Matt.

To assist him in the daily patrol of our highways, the breakdown van is rammed to the hilt with helpful equipment to get most cars up and running.

In fact, it would be fair to say that it's stocked with more gadgets and gizmos than Doctor Who's Tardis.

This is essentially Matt's office and he spends the majority of his day either driving or waiting for work.

With the radio for company and the sporadic bleeping of the van's onboard computer, it's just him and the open road.

At times, Matt seems as relieved as his customers are to see him and he springs to life with friendly conversation.

The most common reason that he encounters for a breakdown is using the wrong kind of fuel in a car, which can be a complete disaster - particularly if you put petrol in a diesel.

"If you're ever unfortunate enough to mis-fill your car, then definitely don't start it up," is Matt's advice.

He tells me that it's strictly down to luck as to how easy or difficult the repair might be.

"Mondays are usually the busiest times for us as we get all the breakdowns left over from the weekend. On a daily basis, the morning and late afternoon when people are coming and going from work are peak times."

Although within the first five minutes of getting in the breakdown van today, the radio was abuzz with urgent messages from RAC head office in Birmingham.

Snaking our way across the south coast through the blurring suburbs and countryside, Matt tells me about his previous career as a mechanic on the Isle of the Wight.

Here he had several brushes with fame working on cars belonging to the Sex Pistols' original bassist Glen Matlock, and Mr Twining of teabag fame.

But nothing comes close to the excitement he feels as an RAC patrolman and the unexpected challenge of what he may find at the other end of a call out.

The lure of the unknown was apparent when we were despatched to several sticky situations during the end of the day.

A car stuck in mud in the wilds of the New Forest took several painstaking hours to find and one breakdown required Matt to fashion a makeshift key out of a screwdriver and some sticky tape.

"I never leave anyone, I always try my absolute hardest to find them," says Matt.

Today, we must have driven well over a hundred miles back and forth across the counties.

Being a patrolman is without doubt a demanding but interesting job and I'll be giving them a roadside salute from now on.