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Difficulty: EasyMotorway and High-Speed Road Emergencies

You have pulled onto the hard shoulder of a motorway after your vehicle developed an engine fault. What should you and your passengers do next?

  1. A
    Place a red warning triangle on the hard shoulder at least 45 metres behind the vehicle
  2. Exit the vehicle using the left-hand doors and wait up the embankment behind the safety barrierAnswer
  3. C
    Remain seated inside the car with the engine running until a dashboard warning light clears
  4. D
    Stand on the hard shoulder directly behind the stationary vehicle to alert oncoming drivers

Answer

Exit the vehicle using the left-hand doors and wait up the embankment behind the safety barrier
Under Highway Code Rule 274, once a vehicle is stopped on the hard shoulder, all occupants must leave the vehicle via the left-hand (passenger) doors. They should move well away from the carriageway and hard shoulder, waiting behind the safety barrier and up the verge or embankment if possible.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Ensure the vehicle is stopped safely as far left as possible on the hard shoulder with hazard warning lights switched on.
The vehicle is positioned away from live traffic lanes.
This maximises distance from moving vehicles on the main carriageway.
2
Have all occupants exit the car using the passenger-side (left-hand) doors.
Occupants exit away from passing traffic rather than stepping into live lanes.
Exiting through the driver-side doors exposes occupants directly to traffic travelling at high speeds.
3
Move all occupants up the embankment and stay behind the metal crash barrier.
Occupants are located in a protected area away from the hard shoulder.
The hard shoulder remains a hazardous area where stationary vehicles are vulnerable to high-speed collisions.

Key Concept

Motorway Breakdown Safety and Evacuation Procedures
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Motorway and High-Speed Road Emergencies

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