Would you change a flat tyre on a motorway hard shoulder?

scragend

Gavin83 wrote: »

The last breakdown I had the breakdown guy actually told me it was illegal to do yourself.

Well he would say that, wouldn't he!

So that you go home and tell all your family/mates that it's illegal, and so they go and pay to join a breakdown service just in case.

Illegal my foot.

madjay

under Reg 14 of the Motorway Traffic Regulations in England and Wales You are not allowed to change a tyre on your own now on the hard shoulder of a motor way, You MUST notify the Highways Agency Patrol or the police via the roadside phones or mobile and wait for them to attend.

Rover_Driver

madjay wrote: »

under Reg 14 of the Motorway Traffic Regulations in England and Wales You are not allowed to change a tyre on your own now on the hard shoulder of a motor way, You MUST notify the Highways Agency Patrol or the police via the roadside phones or mobile and wait for them to attend.

Which regulations? Regulation 14, The Motorways Traffic (England and Wales ) Regulations 1982, is in respect of animals.

Mark_Mark

What's the latest edition of the motorway regs? I can find up to 1982, this is pre highways agency is I guess they have been rewritten.

Rover_Driver

The Highway Code only mentions the 1982 regulations, which I understand to be the current ones.

Mark_Mark

Rover_Driver wrote: »

The Highway Code only mentions the 1982 regulations, which I understand to be the current ones.

So what madjay posted cannot be correct and he is simply repeating something he got from Google as another forum makes a similar claim. HA patrols weren't on the motorway in 1982 so I can't see the regs being written to cover them.

DigForVictory

Depends where I am & who's with me.
Single female, on a Manchester Mway - I'll be walking for an orange box. Once they know, I'm on camera. I can then ask them to call the bank to call out the AA (packaged service - or I can use my mobile) & I'll let the pros make the call.

With the family, & an o/s tyre, I'll try to get off the Mway or at least under a light. Then get the passengers right out, switch wheels, & reload the passengers. If I see an orange box, I'll use it!

n/s tyre? If I can, into light/off Mway, if not just well onto the hard shoudler & get us all several hundred yards away before I get out the mobile & call help. Again - if I see an orange box, I'll use it.

I went to a Ladies Night at the garage that services my car & the local traffic coppers were Very Clear - that orange box is free & for the safety of road users. So use it. And if a knight in shining armour comes along - unless they're uniforms/AA/RAC - politely decline.

Marleyboy, you're a brave impetuous hero, but I got taught to say "no thanks" to such heroics in case I missed you & got Mr.NutJob instead...

Rover_Driver

That's why I asked what regulations madjay was referring to, as I couldn't find anything later than 1982.

n_s_simpson

Sorry I haven't read all the post but just my experience...


I hit a brick on a motorway so needed to change the tyre. I called my breakdown people and waited by the side of the road. A highways officer pulled over and when I told him I was waiting for the breakdown people he simply drove off.


Moments later a police car pulled over. Now he couldn't believe I wasn't going to simply change it myself and had instead bothered to call out the breakdown people. He then drove off.


The breakdown person turned up and said I should have taken his badge number because he could have been reported because you're not supposed to change tyres on the motorway.


He also pointed out that jobs like changing tyres on the motorway keep him in work and it's the reason I pay for breakdown so why bother even risking it?


Oh, and my ex-girlfriend's best friend's dad (you still following me?) got killed changing a tyre on the motorway. A lorry wandered into the hard shoulder and that was that. I was stuck on the M60 for about 3 hours because of the mess it caused.


So there you go.

Mark_Mark

n_s_simpson wrote: »

Sorry I haven't read all the post but just my experience...


I hit a brick on a motorway so needed to change the tyre. I called my breakdown people and waited by the side of the road. A highways officer pulled over and when I told him I was waiting for the breakdown people he simply drove off.


Moments later a police car pulled over. Now he couldn't believe I wasn't going to simply change it myself and had instead bothered to call out the breakdown people. He then drove off.


The breakdown person turned up and said I should have taken his badge number because he could have been reported because you're not supposed to change tyres on the motorway.


He also pointed out that jobs like changing tyres on the motorway keep him in work and it's the reason I pay for breakdown so why bother even risking it?


Oh, and my ex-girlfriend's best friend's dad (you still following me?) got killed changing a tyre on the motorway. A lorry wandered into the hard shoulder and that was that. I was stuck on the M60 for about 3 hours because of the mess it caused.


So there you go.

Take his badge number and report him for what?

He stopped, established you were ok and had recovery on the way. He then drove off to deal with other matters. It's the HA who should have stayed with you, wrapping you up in one of their space blankets.