One thing after another
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It is bad enough to be broken down on a motorway but then to be struck by a lorry that is overhanging the hard shoulder may be literally the end. In the three years to 1982 there were 36 accidents on motorway hard shoulders in Cheshire alone.
Many of them, according to a survey by Police Sgt Michael Westgate, were caused by lorry drivers who were unaware that they had strayed slightly into the hard shoulder. This is particularly likely to happen on right-hand bends in heavy traffic when the line of sight is restricted.
An obvious aid — one of several suggested by Sgt Westgate — would be a "rumble strip" between the nearside lane and the hard shoulder, but it might be expensive. A more prominent white line might be a practicable substitute.
There are several other things that could be done to promote safety, as Sgt Westgate explains. I hope they will receive urgent attention.