What was I supposed to do? Motorway

[MineIsBetterThanYours]

Really reflecting about an accident I was involved in years and years ago.

Driving on the motorway, 3rd lane, busy. I messed up and didn’t stop in time when the car in front of me came to a stop. The accident itself was nothing. There was hardly a scratch on either car, no one was hurt etc… BUT my airbags went on and I wasn’t able to start the car again.

The traffic all around me started again including the car in front of me. So here I was in my car, 3 rd lane, cars arriving fast at the back of me despite the warning lights etc…

What was i supposed to do to go back to safety?

Similar happened to me years ago. We were in a non moving hold up and I was in the third lane. Traffic started moving but my clutch had gone. Within seconds I was surrounded by vehicles hurtling by at speed. Some drivers were eating or seemed to be reading so came very close before realising I was there with hazards on. This was in the days before mobile phones.

A lovely man pulled up behind me and offered to tow me across to the hard shoulder but I feared for all our lives trying that. I asked him to call the emergency services for me though and they arrived about 30 terrifying mins later.

If you have managed to get over to the verge/hard shoulder, the marker post numbers (every 100m) will give your location too, if you can say which direction you were going. And apparently emergency services will accept what-3-words although it's not foolproof.

Ideally you would call 999 police and say I've broken down in Lane 3 of the M1 southbound between junctions X and X or at marker post 12-3, traffic is still moving and can they organise to get the lane closed and the car moved. They will contact the National Highways control centre who will put the matrix signs on to close the lane and send a traffic officer in their 4x4 to help you out.

On smart motorways there are matrix signs/lane signs and CCTV covering the whole motorway so they should be able to locate you (if the radar hasn't already picked you up) and respond rapidly as soon as the call comes through.

Thanks @NerrSnerr . Something else I hadn’t thought about, even though I’m sure I would have had in normal circumstances.

@NotMeNoNo i was really hoping that CCTV camera had spotted me.

That sounds very similar to what happened to me. It’s awful isn’t it?

We were on our way to go on holiday, when I pulled over one of the kids looked up and said "are we there?!" Followed by "I can smell burning", which is why we got out of the car, although that turned out just to be the motorway smell, it was a broken cam belt (and I'd just had it serviced).