Motorway breakdowns: What to do
Having to stop on a motorway is a dangerous situation. Here are some simple steps to stay safe
An amazing 35,000 vehicles a day drove along Transmission Gully in its first 10 days of operation, and the new 27km stretch of road has drawn positive feedback from motorists. But even on a brand new road, there were 114 incidents in those 10 days, according to the management company that monitors it via camera, 24/7.
Flat tyres, unsecured loads, running out of petrol – more than half of the incidents involved vehicles having to stop (which is illegal on motorways in New Zealand).
Only stop in an emergency
It’s dangerous to stop or park on the motorway and can lead to a $150 infringement fee, or a maximum fine of $1000 if convicted.
This fine could also be applied if you run out of fuel and your car causes major traffic disruption.
Until 1984, it was an offence to run out of fuel on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. But that is no longer the case, despite a police request in 2009 to make it an
offence to run out of fuel anywhere on the Auckland motorway network.
You can understand why police feel frustrated by motorway breakdowns.
The AA attends nearly 1000 callouts each year on the Auckland network and the Harbour Bridge is a major hotspot: 86 callouts in
2020 and 68 in 2021.
The other major breakdown site is the Northern Motorway, where the AA attended 87 callouts in
2020 and 77 in 2021. To try and keep traffic flowing, a team of engineers monitor live traffic webcams, so they may send help if they see you in trouble.
What to do if you break down
If you do break down on a motorway, you should:
• Park as far to the left as you can.
• Turn on hazard lights.
• If it’s dark, raining or foggy, turn on parking lights.
• Stay in the vehicle if possible, sitting in the seats furthest from the traffic, with your seatbelts on.
• If you think it’s safer to exit the vehicle, get out on the side away from the traffic, keep everyone together and find a safe area away from the road or behind a barrier.
• Call 111 if your life is at risk; or *555 if there is danger but it’s not life-threatening.