The Motorway Shoulder and the Smoking Bonnet
You are on a motorway in the right-hand lane at 110 km/h when the engine loses power and the temperature gauge climbs into the red. There is a smell of hot coolant and a wisp of steam from under the bonnet. Traffic is moderate; the hard shoulder is continuous and about 2.5 m wide. The nearest emergency refuge area is signed 800 m ahead. Your phone shows 40% battery and a good signal. It is dusk, visibility is fine, and you are alone. There is a reflective vest in the door pocket and a warning triangle in the boot. You have no fire extinguisher.
1. Decide between stopping on the hard shoulder now and reaching the refuge area 800 m ahead.
Read the worked answer
Reach the refuge area if the vehicle will still move.
Reasoning:
- 800 m at a reduced speed of, say, 60 km/h takes about 48 s. A refuge area is designed for exactly this: it is set back from the carriageway and protected, far safer than a 2.5 m shoulder beside 110 km/h traffic.
- A loss of power plus overheating means the engine may seize or a hose may burst at any moment. If it does, you stop wherever you are - so decide quickly.
- If the vehicle is already losing power fast or steam is obscuring your view, stop on the hard shoulder immediately instead. Safety of stopping beats reaching the ideal spot.
If stopping on the shoulder:
- Pull as far left as possible, wheels straight, handbrake on.
- Hazard lights on immediately.
- Exit by the left doors only if it is safe; otherwise stay belted in and call for help. Never stand between the vehicle and the traffic.
- Put the vest on before leaving the vehicle, and place the triangle only if it is genuinely safe to do so - many authorities advise against walking along a live carriageway.
In both cases: call the emergency services or the operator, give the marker posts, direction and vehicle description, and do not open the bonnet fully if there is steam - let it cool.
2. The bonnet is steaming and you smell burning. What do you do in the first two minutes?
Read the worked answer
First two minutes:
- Stop safely (refuge area or hard shoulder as decided), hazard lights on, handbrake on, engine off.
- Get everyone out on the safe side and behind the barrier if there is one. Put on the reflective vest.
- Do not open the bonnet fully. Opening it releases oxygen to a possible fire and blasts scalding steam into your face. If you must look, release the catch only and let it rest on the safety catch, standing to the side.
- Do not touch the coolant cap while the engine is hot - the system is pressurised and will spray boiling fluid.
- Call for help. Give location, direction of travel, and whether you see flames or smoke.
- Watch for fire. A burning smell plus steam can mean an electrical or oil fire. With no extinguisher, your only safe action is to move well away and call the emergency services.
- Do not attempt repairs on a live carriageway.
Why the order matters: personal safety and warning others come before diagnosis. A vehicle fire can develop in under a minute once it starts.
3. What should your emergency call contain, and what should you not do while waiting?
Read the worked answer
The call should include:
- Location: motorway name/number, direction, and the nearest marker post or junction number; mention the refuge area if you reached one.
- What happened: loss of power, overheating, steam, possible fire.
- Vehicle: type, colour, registration.
- People: how many, whether anyone is injured, whether anyone is still in the vehicle.
- Hazards: whether the vehicle is in a live lane, whether there is smoke or flames, whether you are behind a barrier.
- Stay on the line and follow instructions; do not hang up until told.
While waiting, do not:
- Stand in front of or behind the vehicle on the carriageway side.
- Walk along the motorway to place a triangle unless it is clearly safe and local rules allow it - many motorway operators advise against it.
- Smoke, use a naked flame, or reopen the bonnet if there is any smell of fuel or burning.
- Leave the scene to find help on foot; stay behind the barrier and keep the phone on.