Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyStopping and the Hard Shoulder

Your car breaks down on the motorway and you manage to stop safely on the hard shoulder. What action should you take to protect yourself and your passengers?

  1. Switch on hazard warning lights, exit via the left-hand doors, and wait on the embankment well away from the carriagewayAnswer
  2. B
    Walk back along the hard shoulder and place a red warning triangle at least 45 metres behind the vehicle
  3. C
    Remain seated inside the car with seatbelts fastened until roadside recovery arrives
  4. D
    Switch off all vehicle lights and stand directly in front of the car on the hard shoulder

Answer

Switch on hazard warning lights, exit via the left-hand doors, and wait on the embankment well away from the carriageway
According to the Highway Code, after pulling onto the hard shoulder in an emergency, you must switch on your hazard warning lights, get all occupants out of the car using the passenger (left) doors, and wait on the embankment behind the safety barrier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the immediate vehicle breakdown state and activate hazard warning lights
The stationary vehicle is clearly illuminated for approaching motorway traffic
Hazard warning lights give early warning to other motorway drivers that a stationary hazard is present
2
Instruct all occupants to exit through the near-side (left-hand) doors
Passengers avoid stepping into active traffic lanes or opening doors into live traffic
Exiting from the passenger side eliminates the immediate risk of being struck by passing high-speed vehicles
3
Move all passengers onto the grass verge or raised embankment well behind the crash barrier
All occupants are positioned in the safest possible location away from the hard shoulder and carriageway
Vehicles on the hard shoulder are vulnerable to rear-end collisions, so remaining off the roadway provides maximum protection

Key Concept

Motorway breakdown safety protocols and hard shoulder precautions
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Stopping and the Hard Shoulder

More questions from this topic