The 'Up & Down' Handbrake

[MikeG]

If you were to suffer a simple breakdown on the Motorway, say for eg. a puncture and you are capable of changing the wheel yourself is it best to DIY it or summon help via the roadside phone.
The reason I ask is a couple of years ago, returning home from work one morning on the M1 in a friends car, his Handbrake started moving Up and Down. I said "Ay up wot goes off here" and he pulled onto the hard shoulder. I walked around the car and when I got to the offside rear wheel the brake drum was glowing like the bars on a electric fire (we later found out the rear bearing had collapsed).
Obviously on this occasion we had to summon help, but whilst on the offside of the car looking for the problem I realised it's not a very nice place to be, very frightening in fact with 40ft juggernauts tearing past with the suction and backdraft they can generate. I've often seen them drift over the white line onto the hardshoulder and back out again, and several professionals have lost their lives helping stranded motorists.
So to re-cap, is it better to change the wheel yourself or get on the phone and get some help and some flashing lights up-stream of your vehicle as a warning

Mike

[Nigel]

My personal opinion on this subject is call for help.

Most modern jacks supplied with cars aren't that safe in my hunble opinion, normally one legged affairs.

Add to this that most cars have rear disk brakes now, so the hand or parking brake is quite often a small pair of shoes "inside" the rear disks, that are spring loaded ( this is why most modern cars move on the handbrake until bite when you release the footbrake), so the wheels need to be "chocked".

Another point is a lot ( but not all) of modern cars have the spare wheel kept in the boot/load area, so you have to unload everything to get it out.

Basic cover from the AA/RAC is very cheap, if you use the motorways I think you should consider having at least this level of cover.

And lastly...god bless Hato's, I see many of them "covering" stranded motorists now.

[crr003]

And lastly...god bless Hato's, I see many of them "covering" stranded motorists now.

'tis true - a wonderful invention!

[AdamW]

I've done it before, flipping scarey when Artics come flying past.

If you are doing it yourself the only thing I can say is make sure your seen.
Have a 'Hi Vis' jacket in the car just in case.

A mate of mine has a new 206 and tried changng a flat tyre in his work car park. The jack snapped and he had to call the AA out. He said it wasn't just the Peugeot that had problems, many manufacturers are putting sub standard jacks in with their cars.

[Roadcraft]

My advise is this....and to do 'this' you'll need to already have the equipment mentioned...

Firstly activate your hazard warning lights. Pull your vehicle as close to the grass verge as possible....Some people treat the hard shoulder as a lane and stop perfectly in the middle of the shoulder. DONT. As far as possible to the left is the key.

Hi-Viz jacket on !....These should be stored under your seat, behind your seat, in door pocket or dashboard. Not in the boot...where you'll stand unprotected whilst rummaging about trying to find it.

Leave car with jacket on....get warning triangle from the boot and walk back up the hard shoulder. Again sticking to the edge near the grass. Be careful not to walk on the grass or the stones at the side as a trip or ankle twist is likely. Place the warning triangle AT LEAST 45m up the shoulder from your car...100m would be better. The triangle can be in the middle of the shoulder...or slightly towards lane 1. Not too close to lane 1 or else the wind from passing LGVs will blow it over.
Then walk back to your car...again along the edge of the shoulder nearest the verge...and keep glancing over your right shoulder to keep an eye on traffic.

If your puncture is on a nearside (left) wheel..it's possible to try to change it yourself. If on the offside..it's a bit more tricky and dangerous.

If you have any doubts...contact your breakdown recovery agent (AA/RAC/Greenflag etc) ....which everyone should be a member of !

Again, if you think you'll be there for some time, also contact the police. Ideally using one of the m/way phone boxes. By doing this, the police operator will know exactly your position as the phone box is located on their mapping screen when you call. Just pick up the phone and it'll automatically ring through. Keep facing the traffic as you make your call...often nowadays the phones are behind armco barriers for your safety.

The phones are 1 mile apart. However, on ever m/way marker post there'll be a picture of a phone and an arrow. The arrow point to the nearest phone...so you're never more than 1/2 mile from a phone.

Whilst waiting for the recovery or police....stand outside your vehicle and onto the grass verge...ideally behind a barrier.

There are lots of worries for lone females on the motorway...However, you're far more likely to be hit by a vehicle than raped/mugged by a passing lunatic.

[DaveW]

Good advice Safety1st!

I seem to recall being told on a driving course that the average life expectancy of someone on the hard shoulder was less than 20 minutes. Could have been less - it was a while ago now.

Given that, it seems a fairly obvious choice to have professionals attend to your car in such a hazardous area.

On the subject of warning triangles and their location, why is it that they generally seem to be deployed only a few yards away from the stricken vehicle? Are people so used to driving that they can't walk a few yards down the road in order to provide some more timely warning?

[Solo]

I agree with Safety1st except I would not try to change the wheel unless it was the last resort. I would call for help via the emergency phone first.
I would also recommend positioning yourself some distance BACK from your vehicle preferably up an embankment or as stated behind a barrier.
Keeping good water proofs / umberella etc in the vehicle helps.
Don't put yourself in any more danger than you have to.

[crr003]

Place the warning triangle AT LEAST 45m up the shoulder from your car...100m would be better. The triangle can be in the middle of the shoulder...or slightly towards lane 1. Not too close to lane 1 or else the wind from passing LGVs will blow it over..

Current Highway Code (HC248) says don't bother with triangles on motorways.

My piece of advice - make sure you have the locking wheel nut key in the car. Spent two hours last night watching an RAC man trying to remove a wheel (didn't succeed).

[Roadcraft]

Place the warning triangle AT LEAST 45m up the shoulder from your car...100m would be better. The triangle can be in the middle of the shoulder...or slightly towards lane 1. Not too close to lane 1 or else the wind from passing LGVs will blow it over..

Current Highway Code (HC248) says don't bother with triangles on motorways.

In which case...IGNORE the Highway Code...and listen to my advice...it might save your life...

[crr003]

In which case...IGNORE the Highway Code...and listen to my advice...it might save your life...

Hmmm. Not sure. Is is safer to be roaming round the hard shoulder putting out a tiny piece of plastic, or better just getting behind any barrier available?

An aside - saw a 44t artic on the hard shoulder last week with a triangle about 10 yards behind it. Not a lot of use!

[Nigel]

For what its worth, I dissagree with safety on this one, and agree with cr003.

I don't look for those warning triangles, they aren't required in ths country and as such aren't really used.

Put your reflective jacket/vest on if you have one, and get behind a safety barrier.

Then call for help.

[Roadcraft]

In which case...IGNORE the Highway Code...and listen to my advice...it might save your life...

Hmmm. Not sure. Is is safer to be roaming round the hard shoulder putting out a tiny piece of plastic, or better just getting behind any barrier available?

An aside - saw a 44t artic on the hard shoulder last week with a triangle about 10 yards behind it. Not a lot of use!

I agree...the business about 10 yards etc is foolish...

but the 45m - 100m is sensible..

You have to think, however, that you MIGHT be saving someone else's life......ie: the car driver that hits the back of your car...

As for barrier's and safety....there are generally only barriers at areas of large drops and ravines and at bridges.....often at other places there are no barriers whatsoever.....and the car that loses control at the last moment...might just leave the carraigeway and into the verge..

Anyway..it's like this...in 10 years of policing roads I've only ever seen about 30 warning triangles...so it's obvious most people don't have 'em or don't use 'em..

I do..........

If you do or don't is up to you.

[crr003]

If you do or don't is up to you.

Fair enough.

Personally, I'd call a HATO!

Twenty cones and nine really neat amber lights that flash in sequence!

[Roadcraft]

If you do or don't is up to you.

Fair enough.

Personally, I'd call a HATO!

Twenty cones and nine really neat amber lights that flash in sequence!

Absolutely....and that's where they come into their own...and will be invaluable...

My county doesn't have 'em till next year though...

[jibberjabber25]

Personally, I'd call a HATO!

Sorry, what's a HATO?