"Go Left"

[digitaria]

Highways England is running an advertising campaign at the moment, encouraging motorists who break down on the motorway to "Go Left" i.e. pull over onto the hard shoulder, or leave the motorway.

The website is here.

My question is - what on earth else might someone do? Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

[Watis]

Highways England is running an advertising campaign at the moment, encouraging motorists who break down on the motorway to "Go Left" i.e. pull over onto the hard shoulder, or leave the motorway.

The website is here.

My question is - what on earth else might someone do? Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

It's about getting out of the car. Apparently the driver should be sliding across and exiting via the passenger door. But, who would climb out of the driver's door without checking the traffic situation first?

Maybe it is as much about not spooking approaching drivers in the left hand lane as your own safety?

Watis

[bungeejumper]

I haven't looked closely at this yet, but what's with all the comical giant flies? The only connection I can think of is that they get splatted by other people's vehicles.

BJ

[Watis]

I haven't looked closely at this yet, but what's with all the comical giant flies? The only connection I can think of is that they get splatted by other people's vehicles.

BJ

Don't mock!

It's likely that someone has been very well rewarded for coming up with that idea!

Watis

[Alaric]

My question is - what on earth else might someone do? Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

Is it also something to do with seeking out the refuges on those motorways where the hard shoulder has been converted into a running lane?

[Laughton]

Another example of the government treating us all as completely clueless children.

[airbus330]

Highways England is running an advertising campaign at the moment, encouraging motorists who break down on the motorway to "Go Left" i.e. pull over onto the hard shoulder, or leave the motorway.

The website is here.

My question is - what on earth else might someone do? Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

Short answer is yes, I have seen stranded cars in the 3rd and 4th lanes as well as lanes 1 and 2. To be fair this has usually been a breakdown in traffic on the congested M5/M6, but not always. What is more shocking is that I have seen the occupants huddling on the central reservation to add to the danger. IMHO it is way beyond time for thorough Motorway training to be included in the driving test. I imagine these adverts, which are on LBC every day, are a pathetic attempt to de-risk Smart motorways. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig.....

[absolutezero]

There is a surprisingly large number of people killed/injured on motorways after their car breaks down and then they either stay in their car, hang about on the carriageway or mill about on the hard shoulder and then get hit by vehicles.
'Go left' also is encouraging them to leave the car, go behind the barrier and away from the road.

[swill453]

There is a surprisingly large number of people killed/injured on motorways after their car breaks down and then they either stay in their car, hang about on the carriageway or mill about on the hard shoulder and then get hit by vehicles.
'Go left' also is encouraging them to leave the car, go behind the barrier and away from the road.

I think this campaign has come about since the occurrence of accidents involving broken-down vehicles on Smart Motorways.

Basically unless you can get to a refuge area, you have to stop in what is a live traffic lane. There are supposed to be systems in place to alter the signage to protect you, but this isn't going to react instantly.

There's no easy answer there, I think we may come to realise these weren't a great idea in the first place.

Scott.

[Alaric]

I think we may come to realise these weren't a great idea in the first place.

I thought the original version on the M42 east of Birmingham made sense. You had the left hand lane with a different colour tarmac that was signed to be used alongside a reduced speed limit only when the motorway was busy. Also the refuges were closely spaced. The later versions on the M1 and M6 with much greater distances between refuges and no special surface markings just seemed a four lane highway without the usual hard shoulder in case of breakdowns.

[Lootman]

Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

Not willingly, but if you suddenly lose power in the fast lane and cannot safely move left, then you may not have a lot of choice. If you are in the fast lane at all, chances are the motorway is busy, and navigating across streams of traffic with no power is not fun.

Ideally motorways would have a very broad central reservation (median) that you can also pull onto, like in the US. But in the UK we are usually too space constrained for that potentially life-saving luxury.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Highways England is running an advertising campaign at the moment, encouraging motorists who break down on the motorway to "Go Left" i.e. pull over onto the hard shoulder, or leave the motorway.

The website is here.

My question is - what on earth else might someone do? Are there people who park in the fast lane and sit there awaiting assistance?

I passed an accident two weeks ago on an open stretch of the M62. No exit or access roads were near and only one car was involved. It had hit the barrier in the middle reservation and was totally undrivable or unmovable, blocking the outer lane. The (male) driver was stood in front of the vehicle and was on the phone. There was a second car which had not been involved but had stopped in the middle lane with it's hazard lights on. And the (female) driver of this car was on her phone stood behind her vehicle.

In answer to your question there appears to be people who clearly do not understand the need to get off the motorway and across to a safe place. I wasn't witnessing an accident that had just happened seconds before I arrived. It's strange what some people do in situations like that. Some will be able to think straight and respond well. Others will do as the two I saw and blindly go into some world of their own.

AiY

[Lootman]

there appears to be people who clearly do not understand the need to get off the motorway and across to a safe place.

Or maybe they cannot get to a safer place. In an accident the vehicle may no longer be driveable and so there isn't much you can do with it. All you can do is move yourself assuming that a door opens. And then what are your choices?

1) Cross the reservation to the opposing lanes? No improvement.

2) Try and run across the motorway lanes to the hard shoulder. Worse.

3) Position yourself in front of your vehicle? Probably the safest but still not ideal.

And if it is foggy or nighttime, forget about it, you are probably toast.

[9873210]

there appears to be people who clearly do not understand the need to get off the motorway and across to a safe place.

Or maybe they cannot get to a safer place. In an accident the vehicle may no longer be driveable and so there isn't much you can do with it. All you can do is move yourself assuming that a door opens. And then what are your choices?

1) Cross the reservation to the opposing lanes? No improvement.

2) Try and run across the motorway lanes to the hard shoulder. Worse.

3) Position yourself in front of your vehicle? Probably the safest but still not ideal.

And if it is foggy or nighttime, forget about it, you are probably toast.

Get some distance (>100m) away from the accident (I'd usually go towards approaching traffic) and as close to the barrier as you can. If you stand on the barrier and hug a lamppost you should be okay for a few hours (more than long enough). Chances are the lamppost has been there for a few years, including foggy nights, without being hit.

[richlist]

I've forgotten the advert already........but it's a great catchy tune. Been humming it all day.

[Lootman]

there appears to be people who clearly do not understand the need to get off the motorway and across to a safe place.

Or maybe they cannot get to a safer place. In an accident the vehicle may no longer be driveable and so there isn't much you can do with it. All you can do is move yourself assuming that a door opens. And then what are your choices?

1) Cross the reservation to the opposing lanes? No improvement.

2) Try and run across the motorway lanes to the hard shoulder. Worse.

3) Position yourself in front of your vehicle? Probably the safest but still not ideal.

And if it is foggy or nighttime, forget about it, you are probably toast.

Get some distance (>100m) away from the accident (I'd usually go towards approaching traffic) and as close to the barrier as you can. If you stand on the barrier and hug a lamppost you should be okay for a few hours (more than long enough). Chances are the lamppost has been there for a few years, including foggy nights, without being hit.

I partly agree. Certainly if there is a lamppost then hugging it makes sense. And it may have markings that would enable you to phone through your location. But they usually only exist in busy urban areas or at junctions.

I would probably prefer to be forward of my stalled vehicle than behind it, since my vehicle would act as a protective barrier, as long as I was not too close to it. But of course too far forward of it and you risk traffic merging back into the fast lane.

A bright torch would be invaluable as well, at night.

[9873210]

I would probably prefer to be forward of my stalled vehicle than behind it, since my vehicle would act as a protective barrier, as long as I was not too close to it. But of course too far forward of it and you risk traffic merging back into the fast lane.

A bright torch would be invaluable as well, at night.

The stalled vehicle is a potential projectile more than a barrier. Debris from secondary collisions may travel quite far downstream in unpredictable directions.
100m upstream vehicles may be braking hard, but thanks to the laws of physics and anti-lock brakes they are most likely to be in the traffic lanes. Also if you have flares or other warning device you want to deploy them upstream anyway.

Compare the suggestion that if you are stalled on a level crossing to get out and move towards an approaching train.

[airbus330]

I've forgotten the advert already........but it's a great catchy tune. Been humming it all day.

Another fan of Village Peoples "Go West" hit of 1979?

[richlist]

No but I remember The Pet Shop Boys doing it in September 1993.

[sg31]

The stalled vehicle is a potential projectile more than a barrier. Debris from secondary collisions may travel quite far downstream in unpredictable directions.
100m upstream vehicles may be braking hard, but thanks to the laws of physics and anti-lock brakes they are most likely to be in the traffic lanes. Also if you have flares or other warning device you want to deploy them upstream anyway.

Compare the suggestion that if you are stalled on a level crossing to get out and move towards an approaching train.

I might have flares but I don't see what use they would be unless the fashion police turn up to arrest me.