The BIG Freeze

The weather is taking a seasonal twist this week and forecasters say the freezing weather is set to continue.

The whole of the UK will be seeing frost and sub-zero temperatures tonight, and tomorrow there will be wintry showers with the possibility of sleet and snow… even over areas of southern and eastern England.

With more fog set to descend please beware of treacherous conditions on the roads and wrap up warm! 

For general winter driving advice including how to keep your car in tip top shape to avoid breaking down and  tips for driving in snow and ice please click here

Hard Shoulder Running on the M6

A new hard shoulder running scheme has been launched on the M6 near Birmingham.

The scheme covers the 7 mile stretch between junction 4 – Coleshill, and junction 5 – Castle Bromwich.

The scheme follows the successful M42 pilot of a similar scheme at junction 5 near Solihull.

During the pilot phase of the M42 project concerns were raised over the safety of hard shoulder running. However, it has been reported that accidents have reduced since the scheme’s introduction.

If you want to find out more about hard shoulder running and other traffic management measures please visit the managed motorways  page in the Safety Information section of this site.

Macho Man

Male drivers are almost three times more likely to be killed or injured on the hard shoulder of motorways than women following breakdowns, according to new figures. 

The difference has been attributed to the different ways in which men and women tend to behave when stranded.   The reason has also been described as being due to a man’s ‘ego’ and their belief that they can fix the problem.

Philip Hodson, a fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said “Women, on the other hand, are more realistic about their own technical competence. So they are naturally more inclined to follow the safety rules.”

One of the key things to remember is that once you’re outside of your car in the dark, you’re effectively invisible, so attempting repair works yourself at night or infact at any time during the day in is not wise. It is also suggested that you have a high visibility vest in your car, as they can increase the distance over which drivers can spot stranded drivers by 400 per cent, Comma claims.

So ladies and gents what are your thoughts on this?  Do you know a few men who take risks on the road, or do you know more ladies that are more likely to take risks???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it a Bird?… Is it a Plane?… No, its a Mobility Scooter!

 

A pensioner drove his Mobility Scooter down a dual carriageway… to test how loud his horn was (which by the way he thought was not loud enough).

Officers found the man, crawling along at a speedy 8mph on the hard shoulder of the A38 in Devon. He was swiftly escorted off the carriageway amid fears for his, and other drivers’ safety and given advice by police before taking a more sensible route home.

 Please do not try this one at home folks!!

Blast from the Past…

There is a classic video on YouTube about the use of the hard shoulder. Click here to view the video.

It may look like something from a Jeremy Beadle sketch but there are no gags in this video. Although times have changed… the key message has stayed the same ‘HARD SHOULDERS SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY’. They are NOT for casual stops, to read a map, or for a toilet break (no matter how desperate you are!).

If an emergency forces you to stop on the hard shoulder please follow the top tips given in the Safety Information section of this website.

Getting it wrong could cost you your life!

Darth Vader tested on his Green Cross Code

Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films managed to pull onto the hard shoulder of the M1 when “everything went kaput on the car” during his journey to Burton on Trent where he was filming.

Dave rang through to the Highways Agency using an emergency response telephone and a patrol was dispatched to help. Whilst waiting behind the barrier for the Traffic Officers to arrive Dave was surprised by the speed and the sound of the cars whizzing by.

While assisting Dave, the Traffic Officers realised who he was, and also the unusual history of his Mercedes car.

“It has a great provenance as the car was previously owned by my good friend Kenny Baker who was R2D2,” said David. “Of course, because of Kenny’s size he used to keep a little ladder inside the boot so he could climb up and put his suitcases in the back. When he had finished, he’d put the ladder back into the car but then he couldn’t reach to close the boot, so he had tied a cord to the boot handle. I decided to leave the cord there as a reminder of the car’s previous owner.”

Traffic officer Craig Chapman, attending the scene said: “We meet all kinds of people on the hard shoulder but, since I started work for the Highways Agency, meeting Darth Vader is definitely one of the strangest situations I’ve been in.”

It looks like he escaped from the dark side once more!

Dangerous place to be, even if you have your own armour!

The BBC have reported that a tortoise with a taste for life in the fast lane has been rescued after he was found wandering across a slip road off the M25 in Surrey.

He was plucked to safety by a passer-by, who pulled over on the hard shoulder after spotting him on the M23 slip road at junction seven of the M25.

On later inspection vets discovered he was micro-chipped in the USA, and have named him Freeway.

The driver recalled how he feared the tortoise could cause an accident with people trying to avoid it.

“By the time I’d run back, it had got into the slow lane. I ran out picked it up and put it into the foot well of my car.”

Rumours that Freeway was wearing a hi-vis jacket are unsubstantiated…

More on this story can be found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8264541.stm

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.