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.

Flagging down other cars is pointless, in addition to the risk to her personal safety. What can another driver do to help? All you're doing is providing another sitting duck for passing vehicles to crash into.
She should have got out and stood behind the hard shoulder.

In “massive fog, shite conditions” it’s not unreasonable to expect someone to veer to the left . Not likely anyone would see her waving them down , either, in time to stop.

Some years ago, a woman broke down on a Mway further south, and a motorist stopped, murdered her. Equally, I broke down on the A82 , flat tyre and several motorists stopped to help..being the holidays, most couldn’t as tools were under luggage or didn’t fit the Volvo..my wheel brace was split, wouldn’t catch the nut. One van gave me a lift 20 miles to a garage with the tyre to get it fixed, and another car took me back. ..and yeah, the spare was flat, too. That was my first trip to visit my mother alone, and the last I made without checking the car for tools etc first. Never trusted OH again 600 miles round trip and I bought my own tool kit after it.

What on earth was his logic behind flagging cars down? What did he think it was going to achieve? That an off duty AA guy with all the equipment will spot her?

I broke down once on the motorway didn't have AA or anything. Rang from one of the roadside phones. Was adviced as a lone female to sit in the passenger seat of the car until help arrived they arranged a garage and sent a copper out who arrived within 20mins

Madness to stay in the car.
How do people lack the basic risk management skills? it’s scary.
A moments inattention from oncoming traffic and you’re a sitting duck.

Get out of the car and over the Armco barrier to await rescue. Just read the Highway Code.

ALWAYS carry a blanket + coat + torch in the car and sweets / water or cans of drink.

Better to phone the police as well as breakdown services.more risk from speeding wagons than pervs. Get the other side of the rail and keep your head down.
Nowt wrong with a bit of paranoia at the right time and place.

The hard shoulder is the most dangerous place to be on the motorway - 8% of crashes happen on it.

Surely wherever the other 92% happen (assume the live lanes) would be more dangerous then??

This.

you are as bad as each other! Your advice was just as stupid as his

The advice to stay in the car at the side of the motorway, in fog, was far more dangerous than the risk from an evil Good Samaritan.

I probably wouldn't have given the advice to flag down a stranger either, but I don't think you can very cross, given the dreadful advice you gave.

I've been helped by random people (men) who offered their help many times. I've always been very grateful and no one has done me any harm.

Ye Gods the general lack of general knowledge and common sense just beggars belief.

You can only stop for a breakdown or emergency, I don't think if you were flagged down you could stop without being in trouble, unless there was a clear emergency.

If you break down on the motorway you get everyone out of the car and get as far away from the car and the live traffic as possible. It's that simple. If you don't know this you shouldn't be on the motorway.

Thank you everyone xx
All good, she met her Dad on the hard shoulder, he waited with her until RAC came, she's back home safe.
Turns out there was absolutely nothing wrong with the car😬
Think DD was stressed about driving over the admittingly stressful M62 in a raging storm and freaked out.
It was the Saddleworth hills so I think she got spooked with the raging rain and wind.
Thank you all though, lots of great advice xx

And yes, I was that helicopter Mum!!!

So your daughter risked her life, her Dad's life and the RAC person's life because she was scared of driving in a storm? I appreciate driving in bad conditions can be scary and getting off the motorway at the first opportunity would have been a good idea but that means turning at the first junction not stopping on the hard shoulder.

didn’t say 8% of motorway crashes..just ‘crashes’ therefore the others mostly off motorways .

Flagging down cars is not sensible, but staying in the car is also really unsafe especially in fog. Another car could come into you and kill you. She should have been out of the car behind the crash barrier. I would have thought that being run into by a car in fog was actually more likely than someone stopping to help who was dodgy, so it's a bit rich to be "furious with DP" when your advice put your daughter at more risk than his.

Never sit in the car. Go behind the barriers. She was a sitting duck for an accident while it was foggy too.

What does he think another driver would be able to do to help her?

I had to stop on the hard shoulder of the M25 when I had an issue with my car. Not only did I know to get behind the barrier, but the AA left it in no doubt - there were recorded messages even before I got to a person and then the call handler wouldn't do anything until I had confirmed I was out of the vehicle and behind the barrier. When the AA man arrived and parked his bright orange van behind my car, he took the keys of my car and wouldn't let me over the barrier either while he was working on it. It made me appreciate the risks of their job tbh.

Are you kidding me? She should not be driving!

Your daughter needs to hand back her driving license. Three lives endangered for no good reason.

She’s ended up this way due to helicopter parenting. All that fuss over nothing.

She put herself and others in danger here OP. Your focus should be on her gaining a bit of resilience and maybe some further driving training.

Are you kidding me!
We all start to actually learn to drive properly when we have passed our test.
Most of us didn't drive on the mororway before we passed our test or at least I hope we didn't.
She is a careful very good driver.
She came across a situation she hadn't encountered before.
Don't be so bloody ridiculously judgemental.
Did you automatically know everything about motorway driving when you had just passed your test?
Everything turned out well and she now knows what to do better if anything happens again when she is driving on the motorway.
Thanks for your supportive input though🙄

Oh do feck off.
Honestly what on earth are you doing bothering yourself to reply with such a nasty reply.
Feel better?