I've just been on a motoring organisations website reading up on what to do if you breakdown on the motorway. The advice given states that if you must (feel threatened etc..) sit inside your car on the hardshoulder you should sit in the passenger seat with the doors locked. It does not say to put your seatbelt on - is there any reason for this? Or have they omitted it as it's taken for granted?
This also got me thinking - my car has seat belt pre-tensioners and airbags, would these safety items work in the event of a car rear ending me whilst my car was stationary with the engine off?
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Depending on the car, the air bags won't go off if the engine is switched off, some still work if the ignition key is in though. In the event of a rear end shunt airbags are not deployed as they work on the direction of impact and so are not required.
I would say having your seat belt on is the best option if you *must* stay in the car.
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"Hardshoulder" and "Safety" are two words that rarely go together. It's an intrinsically dangerous place so it really is up for argument as to how you minimise that.
For me, I'd say that if you stay in the car, leave the belt off but watch the traffic like a hawk. I would want to get out of the car and away as fast as my little legs can carry me if I saw somethinf heading for me. But then again, I'd probably be outside the car anyway as I find 20 ton lorries passing a few inches away from me MUCH more frightening that the prospect of someone seeing me, pulling over in time, and coming over to do me in. But then again, there are worries that women have that I don't have (to the same extent).
I also reckon that if I saw an errant lorry heading for me, I'd have less time to get out than the time available to get in if someone iffy pulled over.
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Better idea:
Stand behind the barrier wearing fluorescent jacket & hard hat and carrying the shovel/pickaxe/crooklok, etc.
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