Give The Cold Shoulder A Warm Welcome

One quarter of motorists are putting themselves at risk of being killed or seriously injured - just to avoid getting wet in the rain on the hard shoulder, according to a group of leading motoring bodies launching National Motorway Month today.

The figures come from a poll of motorists conducted by the RAC Foundation and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust on behalf of the National Motorway Month Group.  Despite knowing that they would be safer outside the vehicle on the verge, these motorists said they would wait in the car if the weather were bad.  The results also show that, even in good weather, one-third of women motorists would rather wait in their car than safely outside the vehicle in order to feel “more secure”.

If an emergency forces you to stop, then follow the Highways Agency’s top five personal safety tips to stay safe:

• Pull onto the hard shoulder and park as far left as possible, near an emergency roadside telephone if you can.Turn on your vehicle’s hazard warning lights
• Leave your vehicle immediately via the left hand door. Make sure yourpassengers do the same. You should leave any animals in the vehicle, or keep them under proper control on the verge
• Contact the Highways Agency via the emergency roadside telephone. Always use this in preference to a mobile phone, as your location will be pinpointed on the operator’s screen so it will be easier to find you. On the motorways, you will see these spaced at one mile intervals, with roadside markers (pictured below) displaying an arrow pointing you in the direction of the nearest phone.
• Wait well away from the carriageway and hard shoulder for help to arrive. You should never attempt even the simplest of repairs
• If you feel at risk from another person, return to your vehicle via the left hand door, fasten your seatbelt and lock all the doors. Leave your vehicle again as soon as you feel the risk has passed.

If you have a disability which prevents you from following the above advice, the Highway Code advises that you should stay in the vehicle, switch on your hazard warning lights and display a ‘help’ pennant. If you have a mobile phone you should dial 999 and advise the emergency services of your location.