Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardStopping and the Hard Shoulder

If you see a broken-down vehicle stranded on the motorway hard shoulder, you are legally permitted to pull onto the hard shoulder behind it to offer assistance, provided you switch on your hazard warning lights.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
Under Highway Code Rule 270, you must not stop on a motorway hard shoulder unless your own vehicle has broken down, you face a genuine personal emergency, or you are instructed to stop by the police, traffic officers, or emergency signals. Stopping to offer voluntary aid to another motorist is strictly prohibited for ordinary drivers; you should continue safely and report the hazard at the next exit or service area.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the legal restrictions governing stopping on motorway hard shoulders under UK traffic law.
Highway Code Rule 270 strictly prohibits stopping on any part of a motorway, slip road, or hard shoulder except in a direct personal emergency, breakdown, or when directed by authorised personnel.
The hard shoulder is an active emergency corridor on high-speed roads and is not a general stopping area.
2
Evaluate whether providing voluntary roadside assistance to another stranded driver constitutes a lawful exemption.
Stopping to assist another driver is not a lawful exemption for members of the public and creates serious static collision hazards.
Only designated emergency services, traffic officers, and authorised recovery operators are permitted to stop to attend to stranded vehicles.
3
Assess the effect of activating hazard warning lights in this scenario.
Activating hazard warning lights does not grant legal permission or an exemption to stop on the hard shoulder.
Warning lights do not override statutory motorway stopping prohibitions.

Key Concept

Lawful and Prohibited Reasons for Stopping on the Motorway Hard Shoulder
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Stopping and the Hard Shoulder

More questions from this topic