On M25 today anti clockwise, car at a stand sill in lane 1(not the fast lane) a little way back was a tanker hazards on as I got nearer the tanker starts to move out to lane 2, same time as wobbles arrive,by the way it looked I would say like the tanker was protecting the car.is that a good thing to do,what would the implications be if it all went wrong
malcolmgbell:
On M25 today anti clockwise, car at a stand sill in lane 1(not the fast lane) a little way back was a tanker hazards on as I got nearer the tanker starts to move out to lane 2, same time as wobbles arrive,by the way it looked I would say like the tanker was protecting the car.is that a good thing to do,what would the implications be if it all went wrong
Firsly there is NO fast lane. Secondly why would that be a good idea. If the car had broken down they should follow the correct procedure. A professional tanker driver would not do such a foolish thing. Or would they?
I’ve never encountered a situation where I felt the need to protect with my vehicle another stricken vehicle. I’d like to think however that if I encountered a dangerously stranded vehicle full of kids/kittens/ amputee orphans then I would indeed use my lorry to shield them.
My reasoning being that if the myopic fool looking no further than the end of his/her bonnet is going to pile into the back of me they’d certainly have piled into the back of the broken down car! Much better they interact with 44 tonnes than with .1 tonne. If nothing else it’d be one more worthy recipient removed from the gene pool. 
the maoster:
I’ve never encountered a situation where I felt the need to protect with my vehicle another stricken vehicle. I’d like to think however that if I encountered a dangerously stranded vehicle full of kids/kittens/ amputee orphans then I would indeed use my lorry to shield them.My reasoning being that if the myopic fool looking no further than the end of his/her bonnet is going to pile into the back of me they’d certainly have piled into the back of the broken down car! Much better they interact with 44 tonnes than with .1 tonne. If nothing else it’d be one more worthy recipient removed from the gene pool.
So what are the legalities in case someone flattens their vehicle into the back of yours? I’m guessing insurers/police would come after you for having stopped in the live lane without a real necessity to do so. Your boss wouldn’t be too excited about the news either.
ETS:
the maoster:
I’ve never encountered a situation where I felt the need to protect with my vehicle another stricken vehicle. I’d like to think however that if I encountered a dangerously stranded vehicle full of kids/kittens/ amputee orphans then I would indeed use my lorry to shield them.My reasoning being that if the myopic fool looking no further than the end of his/her bonnet is going to pile into the back of me they’d certainly have piled into the back of the broken down car! Much better they interact with 44 tonnes than with .1 tonne. If nothing else it’d be one more worthy recipient removed from the gene pool.
So what are the legalities in case someone flattens their vehicle into the back of yours? I’m guessing insurers/police would come after you for having stopped in the live lane without a real necessity to do so. Your boss wouldn’t be too excited about the news either.
Stuck behind a stranded vehicle? Just tell coppers you were trying to pull round but no one would let you out. From experience, perfectly believable.
Personally I would use my lorry to protect a more vulnerable road user if they where stuck in a situation where they couldn’t get to a safe refuge. And I would happily stand up in court and defend my actions should some numpty not be paying attention and drive into the back of me.
the maoster:
I’ve never encountered a situation where I felt the need to protect with my vehicle another stricken vehicle. I’d like to think however that if I encountered a dangerously stranded vehicle full of kids/kittens/ amputee orphans then I would indeed use my lorry to shield them.
Never done it myself, but seen it done with great effect, was on the M25 where the M3 splits off, so 5 lanes, in the middle lane was Gully tanker stopped with all it beacons and hazards going, thought it had broken down, until I went past and saw a small car in front, it was quite obvious it was sitting there to protect it.
With so much traffic changing lanes round there I’m sure a small stationary car could be easily not be seen until it was too late, far easier to see a large yellow truck lit up like an amber Christmas tree.
Although it seems that some on believe that as the car driver didn’t manage to get to the hard shoulder they and their passengers, possibly young children, should be left in the middle of a motorway to fend for themselves.
Some years ago, I used a 7.5 tonner to shield a breakdown, Turned out to be a flat tyre, I help the guy put on his spare wheel, and we both got on our way.
I would like to, but 99% of my deliveries are time critical
So I’d have to leave it to the
Next driver who comes along
jakethesnake:
malcolmgbell:
On M25 today anti clockwise, car at a stand sill in lane 1(not the fast lane) a little way back was a tanker hazards on as I got nearer the tanker starts to move out to lane 2, same time as wobbles arrive,by the way it looked I would say like the tanker was protecting the car.is that a good thing to do,what would the implications be if it all went wrongFirsly there is NO fast lane. Secondly why would that be a good idea. If the car had broken down they should follow the correct procedure. A professional tanker driver would not do such a foolish thing. Or would they?
Firsly there is NO fast lane. There always 1 ain’t there
dozy:
I would like to, but 99% of my deliveries are time critical
So I’d have to leave it to the
Next driver who comes along
So a time critical delivery comes before possibly protecting a family i know which one i choose.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Of course there may be certain situations where it may warrant protecting a vehicle but it’s an absolute minefield as where you stand for being prosecuted and even sued.
It’s just a pity a lot of drivers are clueless about what they should do in a breakdown situation and these circumstances may not arise so often.
jakethesnake:
Of course there may be certain situations where it may warrant protecting a vehicle but it’s an absolute minefield as where you stand for being prosecuted and even sued.
It’s just a pity a lot of drivers are clueless about what they should do in a breakdown situation and these circumstances may not arise so often.
If it happened on a stretch of the M25 where there is no hard shoulder then there is nothing a driver can do except sit there and hope someone doesn’t run into the back of them, as others have pointed out it is far easier to see an HGV than a small car if someone cannot see an HGV and goes into the back of it at least they will probably only kill themselves rather than hitting a car and also killing the occupants of that too.
jakethesnake:
malcolmgbell:
On M25 today anti clockwise, car at a stand sill in lane 1(not the fast lane) a little way back was a tanker hazards on as I got nearer the tanker starts to move out to lane 2, same time as wobbles arrive,by the way it looked I would say like the tanker was protecting the car.is that a good thing to do,what would the implications be if it all went wrongFirsly there is NO fast lane. Secondly why would that be a good idea. If the car had broken down they should follow the correct procedure. A professional tanker driver would not do such a foolish thing. Or would they?
Ok - I wasn’t driving a tanker, but it was 1am, pitch dark and raining when I saw a car crushed up against the armco in the middle. When I stopped with hazards flashing, I saw another car on the hard shoulder with no lights. Traffic was light, but cars were driving past without stopping.
I did what I am sure most of you would have done and got stuck in to help the people in the stuck car. I think that it would not have been long before some numpty, (talking on his hands-free phone maybe) came along and side-swiped the stuck car.
Stopped on A90 many winters ago near Brechin, car had stopped in lane 1 Hazards flashing, she had a puncture, no phone, and it’s dark, so I changed the wheel for her, and off she went, next day got a call from the office, saying a nice lady had rung up to say what a helpful driver I had been… My halo has slipped since then.
Santa:
jakethesnake:
malcolmgbell:
On M25 today anti clockwise, car at a stand sill in lane 1(not the fast lane) a little way back was a tanker hazards on as I got nearer the tanker starts to move out to lane 2, same time as wobbles arrive,by the way it looked I would say like the tanker was protecting the car.is that a good thing to do,what would the implications be if it all went wrongFirsly there is NO fast lane. Secondly why would that be a good idea. If the car had broken down they should follow the correct procedure. A professional tanker driver would not do such a foolish thing. Or would they?
Ok - I wasn’t driving a tanker, but it was 1am, pitch dark and raining when I saw a car crushed up against the armco in the middle. When I stopped with hazards flashing, I saw another car on the hard shoulder with no lights. Traffic was light, but cars were driving past without stopping.
I did what I am sure most of you would have done and got stuck in to help the people in the stuck car. I think that it would not have been long before some numpty, (talking on his hands-free phone maybe) came along and side-swiped the stuck car.
A situation like you describe is fair enough and some of the time works out fine.
Drivers just need to be very aware of how it can go wrong and the implications of their actions.
The authorities should be always on the ball when these situations arise.
jakethesnake:
Santa:
Ok - I wasn’t driving a tanker, but it was 1am, pitch dark and raining when I saw a car crushed up against the armco in the middle. When I stopped with hazards flashing, I saw another car on the hard shoulder with no lights. Traffic was light, but cars were driving past without stopping.I did what I am sure most of you would have done and got stuck in to help the people in the stuck car. I think that it would not have been long before some numpty, (talking on his hands-free phone maybe) came along and side-swiped the stuck car.
A situation like you describe is fair enough and some of the time works out fine.
Drivers just need to be very aware of how it can go wrong and the implications of their actions.
The authorities should be always on the ball when these situations arise.
I would say that nearly always it works out fine, unless you have a large body of evidence of a) vehicles running into the back of trucks protecting a broken down or crashed vehicle and b) the driver of the protecting vehicles being prosecuted for their actions.
However yes there could be consequences of taking action as there could be consequences from not taking action, but that applies to so many things we do in life.
Its a case of using your judgement at the time, if its obvious the car has or is breaking down on a live lane and you can see various people/kids in the car, then i too would stop behind the vehicle and ensure they exited the vehicle as safely as possible, simultaneously making a call to the emergency crews, and then we’d see if there was anything could be done about moving the vehicle off the road, if possible.
This is how Knights of the Road used to behave, and they aint thrown all of us out with the bathwater just yet.
My gaffer is somewhat old school, if it came to light we could have helped someone in danger and by failing to do so they were hurt, the resulting conversation would not be a pleasant one.
It would have made more sense for the Car to pull up behind the broken down tanker in live-lane one… to prevent some feet-upon-dashboard half-asleep foreign trucker from running up everyone’s arse when they didn’t think the safer option would be to just sit in lane 2, like I do during periods of reduced visibility. 
It might not be “ethical” to “already be out in lane 2” - but it sure saves lives when you go over that next hill crest, around that next corner, or are driving in the fog/pouring rain!
I call it “defensive driving” or “anticipation” rather than “road hogging”, as who gets upset being stuck behind someone in lane 2 when there are four lanes in any case■■?
^^^^^ I have no words!