Are you misusing the hard shoulder on a motorway

Motorways remain the most hazardous roads to drive on due to the high speeds involved and the volume of cars. Many of these accidents, however, could be avoided if drivers were to make safer decisions.

A survey by breakdown organisation the AA shows more than 800 people are killed or injured on average every year on hard shoulders and lay-bys in the UK.

The AA Populus poll which surveyed 18,806 AA members, revealed 24% of drivers have risked their life unnecessarily by non-emergency use of the hard shoulder.

Reasons for using the hard shoulder include illness or toilet breaks (both 5%), running out of fuel (4%), reading a map (2%) and making a non-urgent call (1%).

It is illegal for a motorist to stop on the hard shoulder, carriageway, slip road or central reservation for any reason other than an emergency. Motorists caught flouting the law risk a fine of up to £100 and three penalty points on their licence.

While it’s not always possible to avoid breaking down on the hard shoulder, sometimes a car will show amber warning lights which means it is safe to keep driving until the next exit. Similarly, if your car alerts you to incorrect tyre pressure, it’s safe to keep driving until the next exit rather than stopping on the hard shoulder and risking an accident.

What should I do if I break down on the hard shoulder?

Stopping a vehicle on the hard shoulder is always dangerous regardless of the reason.

There are some vital safety precautions to bear in mind in the event you are forced to stop which will help keep you and your passengers safe.

• Always exit the vehicle on the left (the exit furthest away from the roadside)
• Walk as far away from the vehicle as possible. If a barrier is present, get behind it.
• Call for assistance only when you are in a safe position to do so which is a good distance away from your vehicle
• Never remain in the vehicle, whatever the weather.

The AA has created an app which can use your smartphone’s GPS to pinpoint your exact location. This information can be sent to the AA’s operational centre, making you much easier to locate and speeding up the response time.

The free app includes AA route planner and traffic data as well as vehicle reminders for MOT, tax, insurance and service dates.

We hope you found this article on ‘Are you misusing the hard shoulder on a motorway?’ of interest. If you would like to discuss this article in more detail or would like to book your vehicle in for a service or repairs, then please call us here at M&BM Motors on 01375 379401.