Question of the week: Should I help someone who has broken down on a live lane of the motorway?

David Ross, Editor
Fri, 08 Aug 2025

Dear Honest John,

"Yesterday I was on a coach in very slow-moving motorway traffic and noted three lanes of traffic also moving very slowly in the other direction on the other side of the motorway.

I noted a car stopped with steam pouring out of the bonnet in lane three of three with a worried driver sat in it.

The driver in the car immediately behind got out of his car and was running towards the broken down car.

I have thought about this since and wondered what the correct action should be taken if you break down or are behind a car that has - a potentially very dangerous situation."

- RK

Dear RK,

If you come across another vehicle that has stopped in a live lane you should not stop behind it and get out of your vehicle - instead call the police as soon as it is safe to do so.

Although you may be tempted to come to the assistance of another driver in this situation, you should not stop and exit your vehicle unless to not do so would put you or others at greater risk.

If you are driving on the motorway and your car begins to falter, your priority should be to get over to the hard shoulder, or if on a smart motorway lane one or a refuge as quickly and safely as possible. 

If this is not possible and your car comes to a halt in a live lane, unless you and your passengers can get to the hard shoulder or central reservation in safety you should stay in your vehicle with your seat belts on and the hazard warning lights on. Call 999 and ask for the police immediately.

Ask HJ

How do I know when do the restrictions on smart motorways end?

I regularly drive on a 20 mile stretch of smart motorway, often late at night. When do "restrictions" end? For example, if two left lanes show red X and right two lanes show 40 limit ( X X 40 40) and I therefore move to lane 3 and proceed at 40 mph. The next gantry shows X X 40 40, so I carry on at 40 in lane 3. Then the gantries do not show anything. But I've not had any notification that lanes 1 and 2 are open or that national speed limit applies.... Do I carry on in lane 3 at 40 mph until the national speed limit fixed sign at the end of the "smart" motorway? Do I accelerate and move left to lane 1 when the overhead gantries are blank? What do you think?

If a temporary speed limit or X has been displayed in a lane, it is advisable to assume its continuation until contrary information is provided, in the same way that you should obey a fixed speed limit sign even in the absence of further signs. Potentially you could continue at normal motorway speeds if no temporary speed limit is displayed on an overhead gantry, but there is always the potential for the gantry to be inoperative and in the event of a speed camera being triggered or being stopped by the police you would need to defend your actions on the basis of there being no posted limit.

Answered by David Ross

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