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

Lum

I have done nearside, in rush hour traffic no less, and would do so again. Offside: not a chance.

I'd also park my car the same way the HATOs do, with the front facing towards the carriageway. The reason they do this is because of "target bias" which is the tendency for some muppet staring at the broken car on the hard shoulder to inadvertently steer towards it. By pointing the car back towards the motorway, you subtly direct their gaze back to where it is supposed to be, looking at the bloody road!

The design of chevrons and hatchings also use the same trick.

Rodney_Trotter

Lum wrote: »

I have done nearside, in rush hour traffic no less, and would do so again. Offside: not a chance.

I'd also park my car the same way the HATOs do, with the front facing towards the carriageway. The reason they do this is because of "target bias" which is the tendency for some muppet staring at the broken car on the hard shoulder to inadvertently steer towards it. By pointing the car back towards the motorway, you subtly direct their gaze back to where it is supposed to be, looking at the bloody road!

The design of chevrons and hatchings also use the same trick.

But that's not why they do it.

brat

Rodney_Trotter wrote: »

paddedjohn wrote:

Show me a link that backs that statement up as fact and I will believe you, until then I will continue to stop on the hard shoulder to help. As I explained in my post, I can't find a definitive answer either way and my understanding is that stopping to help someone who has broken down is an emergency.

I'm not going to argue with you, continue to put yourself in unnecessary danger and one day you can become a stated case when you challenge your ticket. That's if the coroner don't report on you first.

You don't want to argue, Captain, because you're wrong.

Lum

Rodney_Trotter wrote: »

But that's not why they do it.

Do go on...

LandyAndy

I changed an OSR wheel on my Rover SD1 on the M62 (Yorks/Lancs border) about 30 years ago. I didn't really think about it being dangerous and it's only 5 or 6 minutes work.

Not sure I'd do it these days though and certainly not if it was raining;).

brat

A few years ago we had a call about a car crashed in lane three on the dark unlit motorway. It had spun so that the nearside was facing oncoming traffic. The car was therefore quite hard to see in lane three. As we slowed to a stop I couldn't see anyone with the car. We placed the patrol car in 'fend off' prior to coning.

I then noticed the car move a little. I ran round the car to find the driver kneeling at the blind side attempting to replace the damaged front wheel with his spare!! He was completely oblivious to the risk to himself and others!
:eek:

We meet quite a few Darwin Award contenders on our travels, but this fool was right up there!

colino

Rodney you plonker, you really don't know what stopping fend off or fend in is do you?

Rodney_Trotter

colino wrote: »

Rodney you plonker, you really don't know what stopping fend off or fend in is do you?

Unless lum has a marked car it's a waste of time. No point for a tyre change because you're not working in front of the vehicle. Unless there is a near side barrier fend off should be towards the near side, why would you want a stationary vehicle to be punted into the carriageway when it can be lost down the embankment?

Lum

If I'm working in the nearside of the vehicle, especially the front tyre, I really don't want it getting punted towards the embankment. I guess it would depend a lot on the specifics of any given collision but I'd rather reduce the risk to the poor sod who is at the roadside unprotected even if it does increase the risk to those sat in their metal boxes full of airbags. Blame will lie with the dozy sod who drove into a parked car in the first place.

If you're stopping and getting out to wait for the RAC then absolutely point it towards the embankment to minimise the impact (lol) of any resulting collision, though I'd probably go with vehicle pointing straight ahead, wheels turned left, as this way it's less likely to get collected by sleepy people drifting slightly over the rumble strips.

[Deleted User]

MY new car doesn't have a spare.. so I'd be calling for roadside assistance