Relatives have called for Transport for London (TfL) to create a hard shoulder on the A40 in an effort to help stop other families going through the same traumatic experience.

But in April, ten months after the first incident, an 80-year-old man and a woman, aged 76, were hit and killed while sitting in their broken down car on the A40 around two miles away.

A spokesman for TfL, said: “While there are currently no plans to install a hard shoulder along the A40, we will be reviewing what safety measures are currently in place along the A40 to see whether any safety improvements could be made. Improving road safety in the capital is our top priority and we regularly monitor our road network to see where safety can be improved.” He added: “Department for Transport guidelines do not require provision of hard shoulders on A roads.”

There are a number of main A roads throughout the country with no hard shoulder and that have high traffic flows. These therefore carry an increased risk of an incident occurring should a vehicle suffer a breakdown. It is therefore imperative that occupants of the broken down vehicle safely exit their vehicle as soon as possible and wait for assistance in a safe location. Breakdown and recovery technicians should also be aware of the dangers associated with attending and working on vehicles in such areas.

The footage shows a lorry travelling along the A1(M) in Yorkshire with the Clio trapped in front. 

Check out the shocking video here

The incident occurred in January and the haulage company responsible for the truck confirmed that no action had been taken against the driver after the police’s first investigation.

Police say there were no injuries and both vehicles were on the hard shoulder by the time they arrived, so the incident was treated as a “damage-only collision”.

However, since seeing the footage the police and the haulage company are now re-investigating the collision.

Vernon Kay, the Family Fortunes host recently took a bizarre shortcut to his Buckinghamshire mansion. He halted a taxi on the hard shoulder of the busy M40 before leaping a barrier to walk through bushes and woods. I think Mr Kay forgot that you should only stop on the hard shoulder in emergencies and he definitely gets zero points from us on this one.

Welsh rugby star Andy Powell was arrested after taking a golf buggy from the hotel where he and his team-mates were staying and driving it towards a motorway after a few too many beverages.  These after hour antics have not only resulted in his prompt suspension from the Welsh squad but have also landed him a drink drive charge. Andy Powell please make your way to the sin-bin.

Footballer Ashley Cole recently claimed he was being chased by paparazzi when police caught him driving at more than 100mph in a 50mph zone. Mr Cole has now been banned from driving for 4 months and has to pay a fine. After this performance he should definitely be put on the bench.

In summary it is good to have role models but this is not the behaviour that anyone should be following!

The Head of road safety at the AA, Andrew Howard says that the most important thing to do is to stay calm and not do anything rash, and to remember that the brakes and the clutch will still work.

By following a few simple steps you can quickly bring the car to a stop, saving your own and other people’s lives says Stephen Mead, assistant chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motoring:

1) Firmly depress the foot brake. This will override the accelerator. Do not use the handbrake, it could cause the brake pads to burn out and potentially put the car into a spin.

2) Depress the clutch effectively stopping the engine from powering the car (for automatics put the gearstick in neutral).

3) Continue braking and look for a route to the side of the road, and steer there carefully.

But what happens if the accelerator isn’t the only faulty part of the car?

It is very unlikely these days that the brakes will fail, but in the event the brakes do completely fail, you can still help by depressing the clutch. It may be difficult at high speeds to put the car into a lower gear so Mr Mead suggests a very gentle use of the handbrake to slow the car.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position where the clutch has failed as well as the accelerator and brakes Mr Mead advises to turn off the ignition but leave the key there to avoid the steering lock going on.

Running out of fuel is one of the most common reasons for a vehicle to breakdown – and the Survive Group are calling on drivers to check their fuel levels before setting off on journeys after more than 15,000 drivers broke down on England’s motorways over a 12-month period after running out of fuel.

The fuel price hike, frugal drivers trying to run on empty and shortage of petrol stations,  are some of the reasons for running out of fuel.  In winter the problem becomes worse as vehicles use more fuel in cold weather and motorists join traffic jams in snow for long periods, burning fuel but making no progress. Whatever the reason, the problem can be easily avoided.

We can all be saved the embarrassment, discomfort and expense of being stranded and vunerable on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway on a freezing cold winter’s night by checking our fuel level before we set off and don’t let the tank run too low. Remember that driving at higher speeds will use more fuel and there can sometimes be quite some distance between service stations!

If you ever find yourself with car trouble and are unable to get your car onto the hard shoulder safely at least switch on your hazards… and leave your car only when you can safely get clear of the carriageway.

On a final note, if you come across any weird and wonderous things on our roads and think that they would make a great blog, please email it in to the Survive Group via the contact us page and we’ll be sure to see if we can get them featured.

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

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.

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???