Breaking down on a smart motorway: what to do

On a smart motorway, the hard shoulder has been turned into a lane for traffic, either all the time or at busy times. That makes a breakdown more dangerous if you don’t know what to do. Long stretches of the M25, M1, M3, M4, M20 and M23 around London are smart motorways, so it’s worth knowing the drill before you need it.

Know which kind you’re on

• All lane running: there’s no hard shoulder at all. The left-hand lane is always open to traffic.
• Dynamic hard shoulder: the hard shoulder opens as a lane at busy times. The overhead gantry shows a speed limit above it when it’s open, and a red X when it isn’t.
• Controlled motorway: a normal hard shoulder, with variable speed limits shown on the gantries.

If you’re not sure, assume there’s no hard shoulder.

If something goes wrong: go left

National Highways’ advice is to go left: signal, move into the left-hand lane and get off the main carriageway as soon as you safely can.

1. Leave at the next junction or services, if the car will get you there. That’s always the best option.
2. Otherwise, use an emergency area. These are lay-bys painted orange, signed with a blue sign showing an orange SOS telephone. Pull in as far to the left as you can.
3. On a controlled motorway or an open dynamic hard shoulder, use the hard shoulder as on any motorway.

In an emergency area

• Hazard lights on, and get everyone out on the left-hand side, away from the traffic.
• Wait behind the barrier if there is one.
• Use the SOS phone in the emergency area. It connects you to National Highways, who know exactly where you are. They can close a lane or send a traffic officer if you need help to rejoin.
• Then call your recovery. Tell us you’re in an emergency area and give us the number on the sign, or send your location.

Don’t try to drive out of an emergency area into fast traffic on your own: ask National Highways on the SOS phone.

If you can’t reach a safe place

Sometimes the car stops before you can get anywhere safe. Then:

• Steer as far left as you can, onto the verge if there is one.
• Hazard lights on. If it’s dark or foggy, sidelights too.
• If it’s safe to get out, leave by the left-hand doors and get behind the barrier, well away from the car.
• If it isn’t safe, stay in the car with your seatbelt on.
• Call 999 straight away. A car stopped in a live lane is an emergency. The control room can close the lane above you with a red X and send help.

Many smart motorways also have radar that detects stopped vehicles and alerts the control room, but don’t rely on it: call.

The red X

A red X on the gantry above a lane means that lane is closed, usually because something has stopped in it further ahead. Never drive in a lane under a red X. It’s there to protect people like you, and it’s enforced by cameras.

Getting your car recovered

If your car has stopped in a live lane, National Highways or the police may arrange for it to be moved to a safer place first. Once it’s somewhere safe, or if you made it to an emergency area or a junction, call us. We’ll recover the car from the motorway to your home, your garage or anywhere else, and you can usually ride with us.

Be ready before you set off

• Keep your phone charged and a charging cable in the car.
• Know how to switch on your hazard lights without looking.
• Keep a warm, high-visibility layer in the boot. Waiting behind a barrier in winter is cold.
• Save a recovery number in your phone now, so you’re not searching for one at the roadside.