Is it illegal to change a flat tyre on the hard shoulder of the motorway?

[Craftypig]

I thought it was.

[waterboatman]

No. What else are you going to do?

[Craftypig]

Thought thats why people joined RAC AA etc.....

[waterboatman]

You can call them out for that, but they are more for mechanical or electrical faults that you cannot fix yourself.

[sddsddean]

Never has been. It is just that nowadays people would rather sit on the M way for 2 hrs waiting for the AA, rather than taking 15 mins to do the job themselves.

[Toureman]

Or there to stupid to do it themselves.

[boxtops]

Or - to be frank - wouldn't know where to start.

[trt]

No.

[Buenchico]

The 'official' line seems to be that you should walk to the nearest roadside phone, to notify the Highways Agency/police why you've stopped on the hard shoulder. You should then expect, fairly quickly, to see a Highways Agency or police vehicle pull up behind your car, with it's full array of warning lights flashing.

Chris

[Craftypig]

I have changed a wheel on the hard shoulder myself, but I thought It was illegal for some reason. Especially if its an off-side flat, too dangerous to be so close to fast flowing traffic and statistically there being more death's involving hard shoulder accidents etc.........

[Hopkirk]

I would change a nearside, but would call the RAC if it was an offside.

[sara3]

being shielded by your car won't help is someone ploughs into the back of it, as sometimes happens.

I'd step over the crash barrier and call a recovery man/woman (although I don't think I've ever seen a female!).

[sara3]

*if

[Captin Kirk]

I blew a tyre in a little pug after hitting crash debris but fortunately was close enough to the slip road of the services to nurse it of the motorway.

[sara3]

it happens though but hey, your it's choice :o)

[sara3]

sorry, *it's your*

lol

[sara3]

I remember being told that statistically, you were less likely to have an accident on a motorway (lack of junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts etc), but if you did have an accident on the motorway, you were more likely to die. I assume this is down to the volume and speed of traffic.

[danchip]

those emergency phones on the motorway are useless, i recently used one the operator asked for the number off the side of the box, i gave her it and then she asked where i was! I thought the whole point of them was that they could locate you from the phone and not need you to tell them!