I have sent a letter to my MP with regard to the police stopping vehicles on the hard shoulder of the motorway. As the highway code ( and common sense ) says that the hard shoulder should be used in an emergency only, and that once on it you should vacate your vehicle and stand up on the grass banking away from danger, why do the police deem pulling vehicles up for speeding etc an emergency?
Once pulled up you are asked to sit in the patrol car that is usually parked behind your vehicle. This then puts you in mortal danger should another vehicle collide with it. No amount of flashing lights will stop a HGV suffering a blow out wiping you off the face of the earth. I believe that as they have matrix signs on the backs of patrol cars, that they should ask the offender to follow them off at the next junction or services. I would hate to have to wait for the inevitable to happen before the guidence for police stopping precedures change.
Has anyone else had these thoughts, or am I alone on this?
p.s. My MP has wrote back saying that he has passed my letter on to The Secretary of State for Transport.
I always think that the police ‘can you help?’ notices are a menace too. Too much info on a tiny little board, imagine trying to concentrate on getting the phone number.
This is ■■■■■■■ funny…don’t know if i can sleep now…probably have the neighbours banging the wall…i’ll still be laughing so loud…
Your MP was probably passing the Secretary of State for Transports’ office…and asked if he could use his bin
If getting hit by a tyre from a blowout is your only arguement…i don’t think there be a late night vote on it…
How many people don’t tend to spot the flashing blue light…as soon as one appears…in the distance…everyone slows down…even ■■■■ who’s only doing 50MPH…
Use your brains…if there was actually a serious problem…the coppers would have got pen to paper first…
Either way thanks for the good laugh…classic stuff
About stopping on the motorway due to a friendly
policeman wishing to check the vehicle and
occupants out, Unfortunatly due to the inapte
way that motorways have beeen built in the UK
the police have no option but to do this when the
next exit or services is miles away, bearing this in mind
the UK goverment should implement a building programme
where upon parking facilities such as in main land Europe
are avaliable, which would make their life and ours safer andalso
allow us to have free parking as and when we require it, and not
get scapled by the modern day pirates called motorway services
these services could also be built to day with added
safety features as regards security,whit decent toliet
facilities,as well,
very good point , never been pulled on motorway but when i am im telling them on health and safety grounds im not sitting in the back of there car, if they want to show me a video of what ive done then its next serv, exit or cop station
you get up the bank out the way when you break down for your own safety so why should it be any different when cops are involved
Must admit I am slightly confused by the use of the hard shoulder by the emergency services in general. I was at an accident back in January where I had to stop vehicles effectively closing the motorway - however, rather than using the clear hard shoulder the ambulance insisted in trying to get through in the outside lane.
This is [zb] funny…don’t know if i can sleep now…probably have the neighbours banging the wall…i’ll still be laughing so loud…
I am sure the family and the widow (my cousin) and two kids of 25 year old PC John who was killed 20 years ago on the hard shoulder at Tebay while helping a broken down car still does not find it funny.
The police should only stop vehicles on the hard shoulder in emergencies
klunk
In the “less than legal” part of my past I have on many many occasions been required by the boys in blue to “pull over and have a chat” on the motorway. On all but one occasion they have (when they eventualy caught up to me) waited for the next safe area i.e. services, slip road works area etc before giving it the blues and twos, perhaps as they were anticipating it to be a lengthy stop
On only one occasion was I stopped on the hard shoulder itself. The officer yelling for all he was worth stood by my door as I spoke through the window to him. I refused point blank to open the door and “do this” in an unsafe position. He was having none of it however until a closely passing truck blew him clean on his ■■■ at which point he agreed and we ran up to the next exit to continue things.
Personaly I like many other drivers pull into lane 2 when I see a cop, hato or breakdown service working on the hard shoulder.
SuperSmiley:
If getting hit by a tyre from a blowout is your only arguement…i don’t think there be a late night vote on it…
How many people don’t tend to spot the flashing blue light…as soon as one appears…in the distance…everyone slows down…even [zb] who’s only doing 50MPH…
Use your brains…if there was actually a serious problem…the coppers would have got pen to paper first…
Either way thanks for the good laugh…classic stuff
As you posted this reply at 1.05 am I will put it down to delerium brought on by insomnia as I’m sure by reading your post back to yourself you will see that you missed the point by a mile. Especially after reading Klunk’s reply.
The blow out scenario was in the eventuality of a front n/s tyre going and the truck swerving towards the hard shoulder, not a one inch piece of rubber flying through the air . Besides that, what about the tired driver who is following within a ■■■ paper of the vehicle in front when he gets the nods on and starts weaving. He cannot see far enough up the road to see any flashing lights whatsoever, and I can’t think of any instance where people have slowed down even one mile an hour going past a pulled speeding motorist. There are an infinate number of causes to road traffic accidents on a motorway, and my point was that the police shouldn’t put minor offenders at risk of paying for that offence with their life.
I for a long time have thought that Police should not pull vehicles onto the hard shoulder for routine stops.I spend all my working day trying to educate people about the dangers of stopping on the h/s for non emergencies.During our training,we were shown photos of an accident on the M25 where three Essex police vehicles (a granada,orion and transit),were on the h/s,all with blues flashing,on a dry bright day,when a hgv ploughed into all them,pushing two of the vehicles,and itself,down an embankment.Two Police and a prisoner were killed.So no amount of flashing lights will make anyone safe.
I for one agree the hard shoulder should only be used for emergency’s , routeen stops should be done on either services, or slip on/off’s , an di think most times the police try to do this , but there is the odd one who hasnt watched the H&S Videos ,
Like montana man , i always when i c police/motorway services vechs etc , move to lane 2 , out of common curtisy , and not wanting ti kill any one !
Gazzareth:
Must admit I am slightly confused by the use of the hard shoulder by the emergency services in general. I was at an accident back in January where I had to stop vehicles effectively closing the motorway - however, rather than using the clear hard shoulder the ambulance insisted in trying to get through in the outside lane.
Can’t quite see the logic … … … …
G
Ain’t as easy as you might think. Whilst traffic is moving at a reasonable speed you want to stay off the hard shoulder, but once traffic builds up you want to get on to the hard shoulder. Seems easy enough, however, if you time your move slightly wrong, or, more likely you get the tunnel vision sales rep in a BMW sat merrily on your insideblind spot matching your speed you become trapped in the outside lane. It is then nye on impossible to cross 3 or more lanes of stationary traffic to get to the hard shoulder.
I’m surprised the emergency services can get to accidents on motorways these days when the traffic backs up .It seems to be the done thing for idiots to start queing on the Hard shoulder completly blocking the road .
Have to be careful if you aren’t going to stop for a plod until you reach a sliproad or the next services , some overzealous idiot will think it’s game on for a police chase and call in the helicopter and back up .
I reckon they could just throw the book at you , and you know they will .Only a very good expensive lawyer could argue the H+S concerns for you .
Gazzereth,if it was a private ambo,i think that are not allowed to use h/s,even when on blues.I’ve been at an rtc and seen Police give a warning to a private ambo for h/s running.
extrucker:
Gazzereth,if it was a private ambo,i think that are not allowed to use h/s,even when on blues.I’ve been at an rtc and seen Police give a warning to a private ambo for h/s running.
No it was a paramedic job… As for the police - they started turning up about an hour after the call, since they had another fatal to deal with - Friday night as well so the local crims were probably having a field day.
on the motorway. On all but one occasion they have (when they eventualy caught up to me) waited for the next safe area i.e. services, slip road works area etc before giving it the blues and twos, perhaps as they were anticipating it to be a lengthy stop 
. Besides that, what about the tired driver who is following within a ■■■ paper of the vehicle in front when he gets the nods on and starts weaving. He cannot see far enough up the road to see any flashing lights whatsoever, and I can’t think of any instance where people have slowed down even one mile an hour going past a pulled speeding motorist. There are an infinate number of causes to road traffic accidents on a motorway, and my point was that the police shouldn’t put minor offenders at risk of paying for that offence with their life.