Motorway Chaos
7th June

Over 90,000 accidents a year are caused by motorists taking the incorrect procedures when breaking down on a motorway, according to a recent survey.

It concluded that many drivers were not aware of what to do if an incident should occur, and that one in 10 drivers forget to switch on their hazard lights.

Alarmingly, many drivers would get out on the drivers side, and some said that they would attempt to flag down other motorists for assistance; two very dangerous decisions.  

Motorists who break down on the motorway should:

- pull onto the hard shoulder and try to stop as near to an emergency telephone as
possible.

- turn the steering wheel to the left so that in the event of a shunt the car does not
end up in the road.

- put the hazard lights on and exit the car by the left-hand door and move onto the
banking.

- leave any animals inside the vehicle.

- do not try to fix the car, not even a wheel change.

- call the emergency services, using a roadside emergency telephone rather than
a mobile. This will enable the recovery service to locate your exact position, and will
also alert the police.