Stunning Ride

Motorists were stunned to see a cyclist pedalling on the M1 motorway this morning.

The man, believed to be in his twenties, had cycled southbound on the hard shoulder from junctions 10 to 9 before being stopped by police at about 8am.

One witness said: “I witnessed something this morning I thought I would never see – a cyclist on the M1!”

The cyclist was guided off the motorway at junction nine and let off without a caution.

Hertfordshire Police spokesman Simon Feldman said: “We have spoken to him and given him some friendly words of advice.”

No crying on a hard shoulder this Bank Holiday

With the Bank Holiday weekend quickly approaching it’s a good time to do a check on your vehicle.

A SURVIVE spokesperson comments, “With many motorists taking to the roads this summer to holiday in the UK, we are anticipating record numbers of incidents. We want to educate motorists so they know what to do in the event of a crash or a breakdown and also how to prevent it.”

Spokesperson for road safety charity Brake, Katie Shephard, says, “We are urging motorists to conduct essential checks before they set off on journeys this summer. Our report revealed that seven in ten motorists wait for their annual service to identify problems with brakes and a number of people never check their tyres depth, pressure or water, 16% never check their lights or indicators are working.”

Motorists can look for advice and tips on the web site http://www.survivegroup.org/pages/safety-information

From Surfboards To Kitchen Sinks

In the last 12 months Highways Agency workers recovered a wide range of items from England’s motorways, showing that people will load their vehicles with everything up to and including the kitchen sink.

Between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009 the Agency in the North West recorded 1,566 reports of debris on its motorways – the highest anywhere in the country. Many of those items found during the summer months came from unsecured luggage and topboxes. Stuff has included suitcases, bicycles, camping equipment, surfboards, the roof from a boat cabin and a canoe. 

Jamie Carr, Regional Operations Manager at the Highways Agency, said: “The risk of lost luggage can easily be avoided with a few simple checks. What seems secure when you leave home can easily work loose on motorways at high speeds. Our advice to drivers is to stop in a safe place and check your luggage before you join the motorway in case items have worked loose. Many people don’t even realise they have lost something until they reach their destination.

“Such incidents lead to danger and delays for other road users, not to mention the risk of losing valuable or treasured possessions on the motorway.  If drivers make sure their luggage is properly secured before setting out, and again when they take a break, they will be saving themselves time, money and heartache.”

Peter Rodger, Chief Examiner at the IAM said, “How you prepare the family car can make a big difference to the quality of your journey.  A poorly prepared vehicle, or one that’s not loaded properly, can spoil the family holiday before it starts. 

“Being systematic will pay off. Start with tyre pressures.  Many cars having a different tyre pressure setting for when the car is fully laden. And remember to check the tyre pressures when they are cold, not once the journey has started. Then follow up with oil and water checks to avoid overheating. 

“Once you are travelling, if an item does fall off on the motorway, do not attempt to retrieve it.  Stop at the next emergency roadside phone and seek assistance.

“Remember, there will be lots of drivers who are not used to having the vehicle heavily loaded.  If you see a car ahead that is poorly packed, give it space.  Increase your following distance if you suspect something may fall off a vehicle or a trailer in front of you.”

Highways Agency Traffic Officers regularly have to undertake rolling road blocks to retrieve debris from the carriageway and prevent it being a hazard for other road users. Such incidents take time for Traffic Officers and the emergency services to manage, cause delay for other road users, and can carry heavy cost implications.

Baby’s first words: “SURVIVE Group”?

Ok, maybe not her first words but a baby born on the hard shoulder of the M11 has recently celebrated her first birthday, reports Cambridge News.

Little Rosie Dethridge blew out a single candle at a family celebration at her home in Cottenham to mark the anniversary of her dramatic arrival into the world.

Rosie’s mother Caroline, 36, was on her way to Addenbrooke’s Hospital to give birth on the morning of July 29 last year when she told her husband, Steven, 45, to pull over immediately.

He managed to help deliver Rosie successfully while parked on the M11 hard shoulder between junction 12 and 13 after passing the Girton interchange.

Rosie’s arrival was as speedy as it was dramatic.

By the time, Steven had pulled over and opened the rear door, he found his new daughter on the seat.

He then cleaned up, wrapped her in a towel and passed her to her mother. Rosie weighed 7lb 4oz.

A passing Highways Agency team stopped and set up cones around the family car, and before long an ambulance arrived to ferry mother and baby to hospital, with Steven following behind.