Thanks to the Police, Highways Agency and AA
I had a rather frightening, and indeed potentially dangerous breakdown last night on the M6. Thanks to the emergency services for their quick and effective response.
My car lost its electrical systems - including the hazard warning lights - late last night on a stretch of the M6 which had neither a hard shoulder nor street lights.
I tried to reach the next hard shoulder or refuge but was unable to do so before the vehicle became unable to move.
I had to use the last shreds of power to move the car as far off the carriageway as I could get - which was nothing like all the way - and then I and my passenger had to get out and stand on the other side of the crash barrier while I called 999.
It was a very dark night - there was a full moon but it either had not yet risen or was obscured by cloud. We had a nervous few minutes watching while hundreds of vehicles shooting past, mostly travelling between 60 and 70 mph, had to avoid my car and each other. Fortunately for all concerned all the passing drivers were alert enough to see my car in good time despite the fact that it's lights went from faint to the police and highways agency turned up quickly, briefly closed the road while they moved us to a safe place, and resolved the issue. The AA and recovery companies they arranged managed to get us home for breakfast time, tired but safe.
I was impressed by and grateful for the professionalism of our emergency services.
POSTSCRIPT
For those who have been teasing me about whether it was the car's battery that went wrong, I await the full investigation when the car goes back to the manufacturer's approved repair people - it is still under warranty - but it does not appear that there was anything wrong with the battery other than not having any impossible features such as infinite capacity or the ability to give more energy than had been put into it.
Of course, if the breakdown had been caused by a faulty battery, you could argue that this proves the importance of things like batteries as argued by "undercover Economist" Tim Harford in an article which I linked to on this blog a few days ago.
My car lost its electrical systems - including the hazard warning lights - late last night on a stretch of the M6 which had neither a hard shoulder nor street lights.
I tried to reach the next hard shoulder or refuge but was unable to do so before the vehicle became unable to move.
I had to use the last shreds of power to move the car as far off the carriageway as I could get - which was nothing like all the way - and then I and my passenger had to get out and stand on the other side of the crash barrier while I called 999.
It was a very dark night - there was a full moon but it either had not yet risen or was obscured by cloud. We had a nervous few minutes watching while hundreds of vehicles shooting past, mostly travelling between 60 and 70 mph, had to avoid my car and each other. Fortunately for all concerned all the passing drivers were alert enough to see my car in good time despite the fact that it's lights went from faint to the police and highways agency turned up quickly, briefly closed the road while they moved us to a safe place, and resolved the issue. The AA and recovery companies they arranged managed to get us home for breakfast time, tired but safe.
I was impressed by and grateful for the professionalism of our emergency services.
POSTSCRIPT
For those who have been teasing me about whether it was the car's battery that went wrong, I await the full investigation when the car goes back to the manufacturer's approved repair people - it is still under warranty - but it does not appear that there was anything wrong with the battery other than not having any impossible features such as infinite capacity or the ability to give more energy than had been put into it.
Of course, if the breakdown had been caused by a faulty battery, you could argue that this proves the importance of things like batteries as argued by "undercover Economist" Tim Harford in an article which I linked to on this blog a few days ago.
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