AIBU to be angry he told her to flag down cars?

[LifeSurvior]

My daughter broke down on the M62, massive fog, shite weather, she pulled over to the hard shoulder. Phoned me, I told her to phone RAC, she's a member, no worries, sit tight and wait for them.
She also phoned her Dad and he told her to get out and flag cars down to help her, do not stay in the car..
I'm furious he didn't see the harm he could have put her in..
I know staying on the hard shoulder is a risk but trusting bloody any fucker that happened to stop and pretend to help is surely more risk.
He thinks I'm paranoid.

Far, far too many people are killed sitting in their cars on hard shoulders, and that's even without the fog. Out of the car and as far over the barrier/up the embankment as possible. Though flagging people down would be insane.

She shouldn’t be trying to flag down anyone but staying in the car is putting her at a much higher risk, she should initially get over the barrier (with the only car wise priority is taking her jacket) then phone rac, don’t try and flag anyone down and definitely don’t stay in the car

I'm staggered at the vote.

How can 67% of people think the OP was NOT being unreasonable to tell her dd to sit tight ?

The comments are all giving the correct advice - to get out of the vehicle as quickly as you can (preferably via the passenger door) and get yourself over the barrier and up the embankment if possible. Also aiming to be behind your car rather than in front of it so you don't get hit by it when someone slams into it if it damages the crash barrier.

You are both unreasonable. You don't stay in the car. And I'm not sure what stopping a car would achieve, a random driver won't fix her car.

You're both wrong
she shouldn't stay in the car but flagging down passers by on the motorway is wrong too. Nobody is correct. What did she do out of interest?

As much as trying to flag down passing drivers is a ridiculous idea, the thought process that it's a personal safety risk is even more comical. Just what proportion of motorists (presumably you're only considering male ones) do you think pose a safety risk to a lone female?

I agree with you

Why do cars get hit on the hard shoulder? Vehicles aren't regularly veering off the road at random. Is it because sometimes another vehicle that needs to use the hard shoulder and they can't slow down quick enough to avoid hitting whoever is already on there?

I think it's because drivers are mainly on autopilot. If they see a car in a left-hand lane ahead of them, sometimes they switch into that land in autopilot. Then they don't notice that that car was stationary and don't have time to stop. I think it's pretty unlikely for each individual car but the problem is you probably have a car passing you every 5-10 seconds and it only takes one of those to be distracted for a crash to happen.

I was always told to get out of the vehicle, over the barrier and contact highways to assist. Their patrols can be with you quite quickly and can offer foil blankets and and cone the area with lights. They can also speak to your recovery and advise if your car is deemed to be in an unsafe position.

always carry a good big coat in the boot, and ideally a foil blanket. You always think it will never happen to you until it does.

Advising her to ‘sit tight’ was by far the most dangerous thing anybody did in that situation

If she did flag someone one down and they decided to stop they’d be a couple of hundred metres up the motorway anyway, and then have to walk back her down the hard shoulder in the fog. And if she’s broken down what help does he think they’ll be able to give? Are they going to be a random mechanic with all their tools and kit with them? If not, then what else can they do for her?

This. You're supposed to get out.

You never stay in the car! Climb up the embankment/go on the other side of the barrier or whatever the layout is.

I can’t believe you advised her to sit in the car! That’s really bad advice. I thought everyone knew that you don’t stay in the car.

It's a tiny proportion, true. But that tiny proportion is for more likely to stop than the average person and with 1000s of vehicles passing even .001% won’t round out to zero

@Cosmication cars get hit because large parts of the M62 are a smart motorway so the hard shoulder is an open lane. That’s why it’s ridiculously dangerous to stay in your car and the likelihood of an accident is higher than other motorways. The gantry’s are meant to indicate when there’s a car on it and close the lane but they aren’t always accurate.
Crazy advice to both stay in your car and flag down other drivers, that would cause an accident. As PP’s say get behind the barrier and up the embankment and wait for help.

Yeah you’re both guilty of giving her rubbish instructions. You get out and walk up the slope and wait there.

you do not sit in the car on the hard shoulder, you are a sitting duck if someone loses control/any loss of attention

I can’t vite as you both have her terrible advice. Staying in the car on the hard shoulder is dangerous on its own but in foggy conditions with poor visibility that could be very dangerous. As for flagging down cars I’m with you there. Absolutely no way I’d be doing that now let alone as a young girl.

I voted for that as I thought definitely not flag down (as per title)... then couldn't take off when realised she was meaning to stay in the car, which is bonkers.

She should definitely get out of the car and move away from the hard shoulder. She should also contact the RAC and tell them that she is a lone female.
No she should not flag down random drivers..

I suspect when RAC said to her “sit tight” they didn’t mean sitting in the car, they meant : wait for us and we will come.
Hope your daughter got home safely, OP.

Perhaps best not mentioned?

That wasn't the RAC, that was the OP (person broken down's mother).

1. Take your car off the motorway
Try to leave the motorway at the nearest exit or by pulling into a service station.
If this isn’t possible, pull over onto the hard shoulder and stop your car as far to the left as possible with your wheels also turned to the left.
2. Leave your car safely and stand away from traffic
Turn on your hazards and if you’ve broken down at night or visibility is low, use your sidelights too.
Make sure you and your passengers leave the car using the left-hand door, wearing hi-vis jackets if you have them.
Climb over the safety barriers to distance yourself from passing traffic. Wait for help here.
3. Call or report a breakdown online

You are missing the point. Firstly it's a personal safety risk because trying to flag down cars on a motorway in fog may well get you killed. Secondly it's illegal for pedestrians to be on a motorway

The correct behaviour is in the Highway Code. Remove yourself to a safe place well behind the barrier and call for assistance on your phone.

As pp have said, always have a warm waterproof layer in your car. I always have a coat and waterproof boots in mine, along with a hi viz jacket and a charged battery pack. And a set of jump leads . . . and a bottle of water.