There has been much in the media recently regarding smart motorways
and safety. With a headline figure of 38 deaths in 5 years and details of near
misses increasing 20 fold following the removal of the hard shoulder on a
section of the M25. The government have announced an 18 point plan to tackle
the safety of smart motorways.
A well maintained vehicle will reduce the likelihood of a
breakdown , and it is important to check your tyres regularly and ensure that
you have enough fuel to complete your journey.
According to the emergency breakdown services, the number 1
cause of breakdowns is a puncture.
What do you do if you
get a puncture or breakdown in live traffic where there is no hard shoulder.
Advice from The Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents if you cannot make it to an emergency refuge area, is not to exit
your vehicle. Switch on your hazard warning lights, call the police and inform
the operator that you have broken down in live traffic on a motorway and let
them know your location as accurately as possible. This will help Highways
England to spot you as quickly as possible on CCTV and to close the lane you
are in. Keep your seatbelt on for protection in case of a rear end collision.
Whilst it may be tempting to drive slowly to safety with a
deflated tyre, it is illegal to drive with a tyre in this condition.
Correctly inflated tyres in good condition, will
reduce the likelihood of a potentially very dangerous situation for yourself
and other road users.
