Why you should not sit on the hardshoulder
Discussion
Following the BiB comments in the convertible/hood debate:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/3107760.stm
Woman dies at M4 roadside
A woman has died on the motorway in south Wales after being hit by a car as she stood at the edge of the lanes.
Police said the 26-year-old woman had apparently got out of her car on the hard shoulder when she was struck by another car travelling along the M4.
The incident happened between junction 37 at Pyle and junction 38 at Margam at about 0200 BST on Sunday.
The car which hit the woman was a Daihatsu towing a caravan.
The driver, who was uninjured, stopped immediately following the collision, police said.
One carriageway near the accident remained closed on Sunday.
South Wales Police said in a statement: "A Rover motor car was stationary on the hard shoulder and it appears that a woman has alighted from that vehicle and been struck by a vehicle travelling along the carriageway.
"As a result the 26-year-old woman sustained fatal injuries."
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Are there any Daihatsus which are big enough to tow caravans? (serious comment)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/3107760.stm
Woman dies at M4 roadside
A woman has died on the motorway in south Wales after being hit by a car as she stood at the edge of the lanes.
Police said the 26-year-old woman had apparently got out of her car on the hard shoulder when she was struck by another car travelling along the M4.
The incident happened between junction 37 at Pyle and junction 38 at Margam at about 0200 BST on Sunday.
The car which hit the woman was a Daihatsu towing a caravan.
The driver, who was uninjured, stopped immediately following the collision, police said.
One carriageway near the accident remained closed on Sunday.
South Wales Police said in a statement: "A Rover motor car was stationary on the hard shoulder and it appears that a woman has alighted from that vehicle and been struck by a vehicle travelling along the carriageway.
"As a result the 26-year-old woman sustained fatal injuries."
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Are there any Daihatsus which are big enough to tow caravans? (serious comment)
Go and sit up on the embankment well away from the car. That said, I can remember sitting in my car on the hardshoulder once when it was raining. I did not have a coat but sat in the passenger seat with my hand on the door release and carefully studied the rear view mirror for any signs of a possible rear end collision....
I've always thought actually that it is only a matter of time before civil proceedings are taken out against police causing you to stop on a hard shoulder and therefore put you at extreme danger, if the charge is speeding (ie not dangerous driving) they have caused a danger where there was none. If I get stopped I'll certainly let them follow me off the next sliproad before I pull over.
Remember that guy on one of those telly programs who had his door ripped off by a passing juggernaut when he'd been stopped for speeding? The narrator came up with some wisecrack about the expense of speeding and a new door, completely overlooking the fact that the poor sod was almost killed for nothing more than an indiscretion.
Andy
Remember that guy on one of those telly programs who had his door ripped off by a passing juggernaut when he'd been stopped for speeding? The narrator came up with some wisecrack about the expense of speeding and a new door, completely overlooking the fact that the poor sod was almost killed for nothing more than an indiscretion.
Andy
Catch 22 getting stuck on a hard shoulder in bad weather.
My wife (who at the time was 3 months pregnant) broke down on the M1 during some VERY cold weather one evening.
She didn't have any thick coats or blankets to wear so decided to sit in the car, against the RAC controllers advice of getting out and standing away from vehicle, even though their patrol wouldn't reach her for an hour and half, it was pitch black and freezing cold and she was pregnant with nowhere to sit down!! My misses asked them to advise the police and they wouldn't, they told her to walk the 1/4 mile to the nearest receovery phone and phone them herself??!! FFS So she HAD to sit in her car with the heater going.
You really do have to take your life in your hand if you brake down on a UK motorway.
My wife (who at the time was 3 months pregnant) broke down on the M1 during some VERY cold weather one evening.
She didn't have any thick coats or blankets to wear so decided to sit in the car, against the RAC controllers advice of getting out and standing away from vehicle, even though their patrol wouldn't reach her for an hour and half, it was pitch black and freezing cold and she was pregnant with nowhere to sit down!! My misses asked them to advise the police and they wouldn't, they told her to walk the 1/4 mile to the nearest receovery phone and phone them herself??!! FFS So she HAD to sit in her car with the heater going.
You really do have to take your life in your hand if you brake down on a UK motorway.
Mentality of some people on our road never ceases to amaze.
Been walking down the hard shoulder returning from the phone due to a breakdown and had a vehicle deliberately aimed at me. Quick hop across the barrier sorted it.
Reported it incl. good description of occupants who thought it was a huge joke. Richard Heads!
Turned out to be a false id, (no I didn't get the VRN wrong!) presumably uninsured, etc etc.
As they say, committing one crime may show increased tendencies to commit more.
Been walking down the hard shoulder returning from the phone due to a breakdown and had a vehicle deliberately aimed at me. Quick hop across the barrier sorted it.
Reported it incl. good description of occupants who thought it was a huge joke. Richard Heads!
Turned out to be a false id, (no I didn't get the VRN wrong!) presumably uninsured, etc etc.
As they say, committing one crime may show increased tendencies to commit more.
Theres absolutely no way that i would sit in my car on the H/shoulder.
I see it time and time again, people just sitting there even without their Hazards on, thinking that they would be safe.
If you do brake down on the Motorway, get out of your car and get over the barrier.
Always phone the Police either by walking to the Emergency phone or by using your mobile, you never know, we might just be able to help you.
If youre a lone female then its imperitive that you notify the Police of your position. They will drop by to make sure that you are ok etc etc
I see it time and time again, people just sitting there even without their Hazards on, thinking that they would be safe.
If you do brake down on the Motorway, get out of your car and get over the barrier.
Always phone the Police either by walking to the Emergency phone or by using your mobile, you never know, we might just be able to help you.
If youre a lone female then its imperitive that you notify the Police of your position. They will drop by to make sure that you are ok etc etc
fast westfield said:
Tony what number should people use "999" or is there a national non emergence number as ringing Grimsby station [number in my mobile] is no good if out of the area.
Paul.
Whenever i need the Police for an Emergency situation whilst off duty, its 999 for me.
If its a non Emergency then directory Enqs asking for the Station concerned should do the trick.
tonyrec said:
Tony what number should people use "999" or is there a national non emergence number as ringing Grimsby station [number in my mobile] is no good if out of the area.
Paul.
Whenever i need the Police for an Emergency situation whilst off duty, its 999 for me.
If its a non Emergency then directory Enqs asking for the Station concerned should do the trick.
Tony
I agree, but there are always cases when this is sometimes not possible, When I asked my misses why she didn't phone the police she said, she didn't want to phone 999 and get into trouble (ah bless
), she didn't know where she was so couldn't ask the lady in directory enquiries for the local station as she didn't know where local was, and thirdly she was freezing and and 3 months pregnant with a minmum of a 1/2 mile walk to a phone and back in the pitch black. Still at least she was all right.
tonyrec said:
If its a non Emergency then directory Enqs asking for the Station concerned should do the trick.
The M1 or the M62 are dammed long roads and you don't always know where or what the local station is called.
I think there is a need for a 333 or 888 or what ever nunber for just this kind of thing say one for motoring and one for other things ie street crime thats not that urgent. Like crimstoppers etc.
Paul.
I was thinking about something related to this the other day. Almost every SOS phone I've seen on the motorway has the door to the phone on the carriageway side of the armco. This means that for someone to use it, they have to stand in the hard shoulder to get at the phone.
Would it not be a hell of a lot safer to put them round the other way to force people to stand behind the barrier?
Would it not be a hell of a lot safer to put them round the other way to force people to stand behind the barrier?
rich-uk said:
Aren't there posts all along the motorway with number on? I know there's posts indicating direction to the nearest emergency box. I assume the last junction passed would be good enough...
I believe the posts are also numbered so surely 999 operator can pinpoint you.
The posts (i am lead to believe) tell you the direction of the nearest phone distance and direction
Yes, each and every marker post is unique to that particular location and they do have arrows on them pointing you to the nearest Emer Phone.
If you are unfortunate enough to break down, then a call to the Police stating roughly where you are will despatch a Motorway car to find you in a few mins. This is in addition to the miles and miles of cameras that are in the Motorway control rooms which cover 'most' parts of the Motorway.
Never be afraid to call for assistance, we wont bite.......i will say it before anyone else,"thats what we all pay our taxes for".
If you are unfortunate enough to break down, then a call to the Police stating roughly where you are will despatch a Motorway car to find you in a few mins. This is in addition to the miles and miles of cameras that are in the Motorway control rooms which cover 'most' parts of the Motorway.
Never be afraid to call for assistance, we wont bite.......i will say it before anyone else,"thats what we all pay our taxes for".
Mmmm remember being rammed on the M6 once - hit and run - the bib did not want to know - after I stopped at the next phone they told me as I was not injured to sort it out with my insurance - I had to put it down to a bad day in the office and took a reality check - sorry Tony but some of your mates really dont have the same ethics as you.
tvrslag said:
She didn't have any thick coats or blankets to wear so decided to sit in the car, against the RAC controllers advice of getting out and standing away from vehicle,
I learnt my lesson on this the hard way, and now always have a thick waterproof coat in the car.
Mind you the story that led to it is quite amusing.
I was coming back homme from Birmingham, came round the M25, past the M23 junction, and this occurred when they were doing the widening here.
The traffic had been quite heavy but cleared as I came down Reigate Hill, so I started to press on, and was in the middle lane making progress with nothing to be seen. It was dark and at the time this section of the motorway was unlit. Having had a long day I was tired, but suddenly my headlightys picked up a car in front of me, which had no lights, so by the time I saw it, it was close, by the time I realised it was doing about 10mph it was even closer. I suppose bearing in mind the lack of lights its slow speed was natural!
I took evasive action to avoid pilling into its boot, and hit the central reservation instead. When my car stopped I got out investigated the situation and pondered what to do. The car without lights needless to say did not stop. However I did realise that staying stationary in the outside lane was not recommended! I leapt back in the car which to my surpise started fortunately although the traffic had mysteriously reappeared I was able to get the car on to the hard shoulder.
I then walked up to the emergency phone. I called the police who advised they would be on their way if I walked back to the car. I started wlaking back and saw a police jeep appproaching, so I jogged a bit, but it went striaght past me and my car. So I decided there would be another one along in a minute.
Anyway a few minutes later sure enough another police car arrives, and the officers get out. They say to m "Were you the driver of this car?" "Yes" I reply "Did you have anyone with you?" "No" "You were on your own?" "Yes" "You had no passengers?" "I had no passengers!" "You sure you were on your own?" "Of course I am sure I was on my own" "Oh"
They then went on to ask all the other questions they ask, like how it happened etc, asked if I had been drinking, I hadn't, breathelysed me etc, and checked what damage I had done to the central reservation.
After they have done all this a Police Jeep turns up. The policeman turn to me and say "Do you know the guy sitting in thethe jeep?" I can't see anyone other than the two officers in the front so I reply "What guy" "The guy sitting in the back" SO I peer in and sure enough theres a total stranger sitting on the back seat "Never seen him before in my life" I say, the policeman replies "Well thats odd we picked him up just down the motorway and he said he was with you! We'd best take him back to the local funny farm!"
Lord knows where he pitched up from or how he knew I had crashed, but it provided a brief amount of levity in an otherwise upsetting evening!
Anyway as I sat on a cold Decembers evening, in the dark waiting for a recovery truck wearing a suit with no coat I decided never to travwel without warm clothes again!
It isn't always rear ending that finishes you off when stopped on the hard shoulder although there is always that danger when Man U's manager has had a curry.
Relatives of a friend were killed whilst travelling to university along the M4. After breaking down they sat in their car to await the breakdown service. A passing lorry managed to shed its timber load on top of their car squashing it and them to a sadly premature death.
Truely a billion to one chance but just one of the many risks that you run if you stay in the car.
Relatives of a friend were killed whilst travelling to university along the M4. After breaking down they sat in their car to await the breakdown service. A passing lorry managed to shed its timber load on top of their car squashing it and them to a sadly premature death.
Truely a billion to one chance but just one of the many risks that you run if you stay in the car.
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