Would you call 101 or 999 for obstruction on a motorway?

[Medwaymumoffour]

In the distant past I have called 999 for big things on the motorway lane ( think whole tyres, bushes fallen off a lorry etc).

Now I would call 101, but recently after not being able to get through on three attempts after seeing a wheelbarrow of the middle lane I gave up)

I saw a complete tyre on the motorway way and didn’t call anyone as I wasnt sure who to call ( I’m always a passenger when I call).

What do other people do?

Never been in that position, but I guess I would dial 999 as it could be life threatening.

999 without a doubt. It’s life threatening and will be treated as a high priority.

Ex 999 call handler. 999 please.

Could cause a fatal accident on the motorway.

I did this recently when a car literally stopped in the outside land with traffic hurtling towards it unaware. I used 999 and I asked if that was the correct number. The call handler said that any motorway obstruction should be a 999 call as even a small object can cause catastrophic accident at speed and have a knock on effect.

999 definitely.

Yes I’ve called 999 when I saw a salt bin ( the type used to grit the roadsides in icy weather) in the middle of the A66. The call handler told me she “would get travel on it” which I assume meant a police car would soon be on its way!

999 definitely!

999

There is an immediate risk to life.

Definitely 999. The obstruction needs removing asap.

I've been on hold for up to an hour using 101. Deffo 999.

999..

999

I have always rang 999. An obstruction on a motorway lane is an immediate emergency

I once called 101 when DH nearly drove in to someone changing their tyre on the inside lane (no hard shoulder) of a slip road on a blind bend.

They said it was a 999 issue.

999 as it's an immediate and serious risk.

I called 101 when there was a sheep grazing on the verge of a motorway - so it wasn't in the traffic but no fence between it and the road. Was on hold for ages then it cut out - think we'd passed into a different handler area or something. Gave up as by then we were so far away I couldn't have accurately told them where it was.

So is a possible, but not immediate hazard also a 999 issue? I certainly wouldn't use 101 again.

I called 999 when a man was strolling up the hard shoulder. They said I was correct to do so.

Danger to life definitely 999

I used 999 for a motorway obstruction recently (a mountain bike had come off a car roof) and got out on hold even with 999....at some point we are going to have to find things properly. It's shocking to be put on hold when you can for emergency services.

For the sheep I would say 101 and just try again.

That said I think 999 call centres are set up so that if the number of available call handlers drops to zero everyone on a non urgent call hangs up so they are available again. So if they don't think you are 999 worthy they will soon get rid of you.

As the saying goes 'better safe than sorry, better paranoid than dead'

Definitely a 999 issue. The reason you get put on hold when ringing 999 is that all the call handlers are on other calls. We can predict loosely what staff are needed but a big incident such as a massive fight or big car accident on the motorway will result in a lot of 999 calls and you cannot predict that and you cannot have enough extra staff to be able to cope with a spike in demand like that - it wouldn’t be cost effective.

giraffe if someone rings 999 for a non urgent issue they are told to ring 101, even if there are operators available as they cannot get tied up with a lengthy non urgent issue as you need them to be available for the 999 calls as they come in.

999 issue. They will allocate the resource but it could be life threatening.

On 999 whats your emergancy someone called about a cow on hard sholder motorway they all laughed and said they would send dispatch to try catch it.

They then went on to give loads stats about escaped animals etc. So one would ashume from that 999 job.

It’s always 999. I called for a loose dog once- people were out of their cars in the carriageway trying to catch it, so dangerous. Last week I saw a police officer trying to apprehend a goat on the M25!! It was

999, without a doubt. Anything like that needs urgent attention.