Stopping on the hard shoulder

davidjwest

I've seen two people in the last two days on the hard shoulder of the A1M to allow their young children have a wee! In one case there was a service station about 2 miles further along the motorway. Has the law changed to allow you to stop for toilet breaks or is it still only for emergency use, ie when you've broken down?

It's extremely dangerous, the number of lorries I see veering onto the hard should when their drivers appear to be asleep is quite surprising.

I'd seriously advise against doing it.

Strider590

Seen video's on TV and on Youtube of people on the hard shoulder being hit by the aforementioned sleeping truck drivers. There's a rather gruesome video of a roadside assistance chap getting squished too.

spiro

It is not legal to stop on the hard shoulder except in an emergency and as far as I am aware a 'pee break' is not an emergency. Direct quote from Highway Code:

Stopping

270

You MUST NOT stop on the carriageway, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in an emergency, or when told to do so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform, an emergency sign or by flashing red light signals. Do not stop on the hard shoulder to either make or receive mobile phone calls.

[Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5A, 7, 9, 10 & 16,MT(S)R regs 6(1), 8, 9 & 14, PRA 2002 sect 41 & sched 5(8), & RTA 1988 sects 35 & 163 as amended by TMA 2004, sect 6]

Over 250 people a year are killed while on the hard shoulder, that is why they advise you not to remain in the car but get behind any barrier or up the back.

daveyjp

If the car runs get off the motorway - stopping because a child wants a wee puts everyone in danger and I'm sure all traffic cops have given stern talkings to and tickets to drivers because of it, but some people are born stupid.

Strider590

Plus everyone knows, the kid gets out of the car and can't pee anyway!

jase1

The police take a very dim view of non-essential pit-stops on the HS -- I was given a ticking off years ago when an old banger I was driving decided, out of the blue, to pop the bonnet catch, and was rattling away on the secondary catch. I was concerned that the bonnet would pop up and smash onto the windscreen, and there were no turn-offs for 20+ miles, so I pulled over. When I looked at the bonnet the catch wouldn't re-latch without some remedial work with a pair of pliers.

A couple of minutes later a police car stopped behind me, I explained the situation and was sternly told that my problem wasn't an emergency as the latch would have held. To this day I am not convinced.

If that wasn't an emergency then a kid needing to go to the toilet is trivial.

Outpost

Ah the simple pleasures of peeing into a pop bottle as a child during a car journey.

vikingaero

People who stop on motorways for non-emergencies are "Spesh-shall".

mikey72

Outpost wrote: »

Ah the simple pleasures of peeing into a pop bottle as a child during a car journey.

Before seat belts, you could just stand up and go out of the window.

asbokid

Strider590 wrote: »

Seen video's on TV and on Youtube of people on the hard shoulder being hit by the aforementioned sleeping truck drivers. There's a rather gruesome video of a roadside assistance chap getting squished too.

hopefully your dashboard video will capture a good whack in the dueness of time.

asbokid

Outpost wrote: »

Ah the simple pleasures of peeing into a pop bottle as a child during a car journey.

...and then passing the bottle to dad for a swig as he drives..