Beware the hard shoulder breakdown

The last bank holiday before Christmas sees many motorists make long motorway journeys and sadly, some of these journeys will be interrupted by a breakdown. And a motorist’s troubles don’t end once the car is on the hard shoulder; it is an extremely hazardous place on which up to 20 people are killed each year. But the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) says that understanding the risks at the roadside and knowing what to do will keep you and your passengers safe.

Remember that it is illegal to stop on a hard shoulder, except in an emergency. At the first sign of trouble with your vehicle, slow down gradually, pull over to the far-left side of the hard shoulder, put your hazard warning lights on and turn your steered wheels to the left. If possible, try to stop where other traffic has a clear view of your car – avoid bends or the brow of a hill.

Put on a high-visibility jacket to increase the chances of other motorists seeing you and move any passengers away from the vehicle via the left-hand side. Behind the motorway barrier and to the rear of the vehicle is safest position to avoid any flying debris if passing traffic strikes your vehicle. Pets and children must also be kept under control. Attempting to use a reflective triangle will put you at even greater risk and is not advised.

It is not safe to carry out repairs on the hard shoulder. Call for breakdown assistance on your mobile phone or, more preferably, from one of the emergency phones positioned at half-a-mile intervals along the motorway which can help the motorway Control Centre locate your exact location. Look for arrows on small marker posts indicating the direction of the nearest phone

Wait well away from the motorway and hard shoulder for help to arrive. If you are alone and feel in any way threatened, return to the vehicle and wait in the front passenger seat if you are travelling in a car, with the doors locked and the seatbelt on. The moment you feel safe get back behind the barrier.

On rejoining the motorway, use the hard shoulder as an acceleration lane, to match your speed to the flow of traffic and then merge with the traffic in the left-hand lane.

Engineers question value of white lines

Central white line markings ’serve no safety purpose’ on local roads, and there is evidence suggesting that removing them could reduce speeds, according to the draft Manual for Streets, which is being produced for the DfT (Surveyor, 22 June).

The publication appears to lend weight to Wiltshire County Council’s decision to remove centre markings from 12 village roads where 30mph limits apply. It says that there is no Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) requirement to introduce centre lines, and ‘little research to indicate there are any safety benefits on local roads’.

Ford Blind Spot Mirror

Blind spots are the stuff of ever-rising insurance premiums. So Ford are bringing out a Blind Spot Mirror which features a secondary convex spotter in the top out corner, which is aimed exclusively at the driver’s blind spot.

Unlike similar after-market products, it uses a single glass surface. The technology will become standard equipment on certain models beginning in 2009, though Ford has not announced which cars will get them.

Location on the Motorway Network

For those of us who have ever broken down or attended a motor breakdown, we know just how unpleasant and downright dangerous the whole experience can be! So many decisions to make. Do you take the safer option of getting out the vehicle and using your mobile in the driving wind and rain while standing behind the crash barrier? Or do you stay in the vehicle and make the call? Those few minutes passing your details to the person on the other end of the phone will be much easier without the roar of traffic and the elements interrupting you. Of course you’ve just massively increased your chances of being killed!
Do you try and guess the junctions you’re between? And are you sure what motorway you’re actually on? North, South, East, or Westbound? Do you find a marker post or SOS box?
Drivers will often take the decision to remain in the vehicle with their loved ones because the weather is atrocious outside. All the more reason to get out!
For my part, when I’m driving on an unfamiliar section of a motorway, I’d have more chance of guessing the Pope’s favourite biscuit than remembering what junction I have just passed. I’ve also sat in my own service vehicle behind a ‘breakdown’ when I really should have known better. Funny how ‘human nature’ can be our own worst enemy in these instances.

Highways Agency pilots ‘dropped objects’ campaign

The Highways Agency is piloting a campaign to help children understand the dangers of dropping objects onto roads.

The campaign targets youngsters under 16 who are the main offenders. The HA has worked in partnership with RoSPA, Surrey Police and Surrey County Council to develop two programmes to help children understand that even the smallest/lightest object, when dropped from a height, can cause severe damage to vehicles and their occupants.

The programmes – ‘Just a stone’s throw’ and ‘Throwing it all away’ – were rolled out nationally through LASER teaching packs, RoSPA’s 200 Junior Citizen Schemes, LARSOA, the Association of Chief Police Officers, other road safety organisations and the Fire & Rescue Service.