Seven Minutes on the Hardshoulder

As I’m sure you’ll agree the hardshoulder is a dangerous place to find yourself. The following story from a Highways Agency Traffic Officer just goes to prove that:

Early one morning I was on my way home from a night shift when I came across an accident on the M23. The people involved had exited the vehicle but were still in the carriageway, traffic was flowing around them while they stood in the dark, just around a bend in very wet weather.

I stopped on the hardshoulder to call the accident into to the Regional Control Centre. Once I’d done that I helped the people involved get safely to the hardshoulder so they didn’t get run over.

Just seven minutes after I stopped, and as I was getting the people involved behind the barrier, another car had an identical accident. This time however it hit my car parked on the hardshoulder rather than bouncing off the barrier and back in to the carriageway. The attached photo show what it did to my car.

Hardshoulder collision right-off

Whilst I’m annoyed at losing my car, at least by stopping and assisting it prevented the second car spinning back into the carriageway and collecting those that were standing there.

Goes to prove what can happen in just 7 minutes on the hardshoulder.