Dumfries and Galloway Group Of
Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists
Read about the experiences of our
Associates (drivers)
What happens on an IAM ‘Skill for Life’ driving course?
(for drivers & riders)
Food for thought
If you have to stop on a hard shoulder in an emergency here is some advice worth taking into account to maximise your safety.
• Only use the hard shoulder in an emergency. Drive to a slip road or service area if possible.
• Park the car straight, close to the crash barrier, with the front wheels turned towards the grass verge.
• Switch on the hazard warning lights.
• In poor visibility, switch on the sidelights.
• Keep pets inside the car.
• Lock all doors except the front passenger door.
• Get out from the passenger side and stand behind the barrier.
• Never change a flat tyre on the hard shoulder, especially on the offside.
• Use an SOS telephone box, not a mobile phone, to summon assistance. On motorways, arrows on the roadside ‘100 metre’ marker posts point to the nearest one, but it is safest to face oncoming vehicles as you walk and while talking on the phone.
• Keep watching oncoming traffic even while waiting on the embankment.
• If you feel threatened by strangers, sit in the front passenger seat with your seat belt fastened and all doors locked; get out again as soon as the threat has passed. Otherwise, only very severe weather conditions should tempt you to stay in the car. Would you rather be cold and wet, or dead?