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Difficulty: HardStopping and the Hard Shoulder

While driving on a smart motorway where overhead gantry signs display a speed limit above the hard shoulder, your vehicle suffers a sudden loss of power and cannot maintain speed. If you are unable to leave the motorway at the next exit, what is the safest and correct course of action?

  1. A
    Stop immediately in the left-hand lane, turn on hazard lights, and place a red warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle.
  2. Navigate into the next emergency refuge area, switch on hazard warning lights, and get all occupants out via the left-hand doors to wait behind the safety barrier.Answer
  3. C
    Continue driving in the active hard shoulder lane at reduced speed until you reach a service area, disregarding dashboard warnings.
  4. D
    Pull onto the nearest verge without stopping in a designated refuge area, switch off all lights, and remain seated inside the car.

Answer

Navigate into the next emergency refuge area, switch on hazard warning lights, and get all occupants out via the left-hand doors to wait behind the safety barrier.
When the hard shoulder is open as a live running lane (indicated by an overhead speed limit), stopping directly on it is hazardous. If unable to reach the next exit, drivers must aim for an Emergency Refuge Area (ERA), turn on hazard warning lights, and ensure all occupants exit via the left-hand doors to wait on the verge behind the safety barrier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the operational status of the hard shoulder based on gantry signage.
Recognize that a speed limit displayed above the hard shoulder indicates it is open as a live running lane.
Stopping directly on an active hard shoulder exposes the vehicle to moving traffic.
2
Identify the designated safe stopping location on a smart motorway.
Aim for the nearest Emergency Refuge Area (ERA) if unable to exit at the next junction.
Emergency Refuge Areas provide a protected refuge clear of active carriageway lanes.
3
Execute correct vehicle safety and passenger evacuation protocols.
Turn on hazard warning lights, exit through passenger-side doors, and wait behind the crash barrier on the embankment.
Exiting away from live traffic and standing behind barriers provides maximum protection against collision hazards.

Key Concept

Emergency Refuge Area (ERA) usage and breakdown safety protocol on smart motorways with an active hard shoulder.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Stopping and the Hard Shoulder

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