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AIBU?

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Original poster

If you’ve ever broken down on a motorway....

93 replies

Lookatmeimsandradeeee · 29/04/2018 23:14

... as the only adult and also had young children in the car, what did you do in terms of ‘evacuating to safety’? Hypothetical scenario but suddenly realising I have no idea what would be best....

I have two DCs, Preschool ages. I saw a car broken down today on the motorway (hard shoulder) and I suddenly realised I have no idea how I’d manage getting my kids to safety if I was on my own while we waited for a breakdown service.

Asked my DH - he said it would be a judgement call based on the situation which in my case, would probably be blind panic. Now I’m really overthinking it and can’t get it out of my head.

if You’ve ever been in this situation, what did you do? Or what do you think you would do? My worry is they won’t hold my hand, or try and wriggle out of my arms......

OP posts:
Cupoteap · 30/04/2018 06:32

How do you get from the fast lane to the hard shoulder though Confused

dayinlifeof · 30/04/2018 06:38

The warning triangles are still useful as they can go inside the back windscreen or behind the back wiper.

StringandGlitter · 30/04/2018 07:04

Rome down in outside lane of M25. Traffic was stationery at time.

DH called RAC and they told us to call the police urgently to get to hard shoulder.

Luckily two bikers stopped and helped us push the car to safety. Lucky because traffic then started moving and we would have been in very dangerous position.

StringandGlitter · 30/04/2018 07:04

*broke down obviously, not Rome

Rubberduckies · 30/04/2018 07:06

I went on a naughty driver course recently after I was caught speeding. They talked about this and said that Smart Motorways know when you breakdown (can sense you slowing and stopping) and will automatically close the lane behind you and slow the speed on other lanes. Hazard lights on, sit in car with seat belts on. Phone police to make sure they know.

Apparently that's far safer than moving onto the hard shoulder and getting out, if you think traffic is going past at 70 that way, on a smart motorway in theory the other cars will be going slower around you

Rubberduckies · 30/04/2018 07:08

If you can't get to the hard shoulder on a normal motorway you stick hazards on, leave all seat belts on and phone police who will help you get to the hard shoulder

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 30/04/2018 07:12

I had my pushchair in the car so strapped youngest into that and took him with youngest down to the next barrier part- on that part of the m3 there weren't proper barriers so I put them behind a small barrier where there was a box (electrical maybe) as better than nothing xx

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 30/04/2018 07:18

Argh got distracted by the toddler didn't mean to do kisses Blush

DragonsAndCakes · 30/04/2018 07:23

In situations where you need to phone the police, does it warrant a 999 do you think? I guess being stuck in the fast lane, for example, is a danger to life so that would be yes?

SaveBandit · 30/04/2018 07:36

Oh god the idea of being stuck in a car in the fast lane is terrifying! I've never even thought about that before.

Rubberduckies · 30/04/2018 07:44

Yes definitely 999

juneau · 30/04/2018 07:51

Broken down in the fast lane? Definitely call 999. If there is a risk to life you should always call 999 and that's a clear case of risk to life!

We broke down on a motorway when I was a kid - actually we had a tire blow out. I'm one of 5 kids so we were all hustled out and up the bank, while my parents struggled to change the shredded tire on the side of the road. I remember being terrified for my parents who were no more than a a few feet from the side of the road. No mobile phones back then and god knows if we had breakdown cover, but they managed to change the tire themselves.

sleepyhead · 30/04/2018 07:54

It happened to me when ds1 was 2.

When I phoned for assistance they sent one of the big vans with the flashing lights to sit behind me on the hard shoulder so I could stay in the car to wait for the AA.

I can't remember if I was told to wait on the embankment until the van came - probably.

zzzzz · 30/04/2018 08:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wowfudge · 30/04/2018 08:03

In addition to getting out of the car and over the safety barrier off the motorway, you should go ahead of the car.

We once saw a young woman lose control of her car when a tyre blew. She ended up in lane 3 facing oncoming traffic, but got out of the passenger side and over the central reservation barrier. Someone being a 'hero' ran across when there was a gap in the traffic and carried her to the side of the motorway. That was so bloody dangerous considering she wasn't in the car anymore.

AnotherOriginalUsername · 30/04/2018 08:04

Any emergency on the motorway (broken down unable to get to hard shoulder, debris, someone walking etc.) is a 999 call.

There are a lot of cameras watching the motorway network, if you break down, chances are someone is watching. If you look vulnerable (children, elderly etc.) they'll dispatch a highway patrol to you if there is one free.

When I broke down on the motorway with my dog, niece and nephew, kids seats were removed and they sat strapped into those on the verge, the dog was crated.

wowfudge · 30/04/2018 08:05

To answer the OP's question about smart motorways - there is extensive camera surveillance. Some have safety refuge areas. Try to get to the hard shoulder. The monitoring centre should see you, call for recovery and reinstate the hard shoulder. They put messages up on the gantries to warn other drivers.

Kerberos · 30/04/2018 08:08

I learned on an advanced driver course to try to keep going as far towards a motorway phone as you can. Try to stop next to one if possible. Gives the recovery services an exact location for you. There are markers on the motorway telling you where the closest phone is.

Kerberos · 30/04/2018 08:09

And yes, with small children be prepared. Crates seem like a good plan with the particularly feral toddler (looking at you here my wild DC3)

Firenight · 30/04/2018 08:11

Breakdown cover, phone and always have an external battery pack for that, coats, drinks, snacks and also reflective jackets always on board too.

We broke down on the M3 at dusk. Thankfully we were in the slow lane and got up the embankment easily. Kids are pretty well behaved.

APMom · 30/04/2018 08:13

Last year I drove through the UK with my two boys so actually read the UK rules of the road before I left. It said to get to hard shoulder, get out and go behind the barrier and make your way to the nearest SOS phone. They prefer you to use those rather than your mobile so they can pinpoint exactly where you are. I was then on an A road with no hard shoulder and all the lay-bys were closed off. I didn’t like that at all.

jazzandh · 30/04/2018 08:19

The French with their driving rule that you must have a high-vis jacket in the car for every occupant is a good idea in these scenarios.

FleurDelacoeur · 30/04/2018 08:27

This happened to me on the M6 at Shap, in the dark, in February. It was so cold, windy and rainy. I had AA cover so called using the emergency phone at the side of the road, the operator I spoke to (Police?) advised my to put my hazards on and stay in the car until help arrived. I had priority as a lone female, only waited about 40 minutes for a AA patrol to come and in that time two police cars stopped to check I was OK.

AJPTaylor · 30/04/2018 09:38

Also before mobiles, people used to stop and check you were alright! My ddad did it frequently and on the 2 times i broke down pre mobile people stopped to help.

Redtartanshoes · 30/04/2018 10:46

Once you are out of the car stand up embankment but not that n path of car incade it’s hit and ploughs into you

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