Adele’s on Fire, your car isn’t

The incredible excuses of drivers stopping on motorway hard shoulders

A DRIVER listening to Adele’s music stopped on a hard shoulder because they had confused a dashboard notification of a track called Fire for a warning that their car was ablaze.

That was just one of the bizarre reasons Highways Agency traffic officers were given by illegally parked motorists on the south east's motorways between July and September 2013.

In total, 234 drivers stopped when there was no emergency, according to the agency report released this week.

Other excuses included pulling over to pick flowers, taking photos of grandchildren as it was a nice day and even selling a car.

Jamie Hassall, Highways Agency national enforcement co-ordinator, said: “Every day, millions of people use our motorways.

“Most of them use the hard shoulder correctly and don’t ignore red X’s, but we are appealing to the few who put themselves, other road users and those working on motorways at risk.

“Where the hard shoulder is used as an additional traffic lane at peak times, you can only drive on it if there is a speed limit over it. When a red X is displayed over any lane, it’s simple – don’t drive on it.”

Acting Inspector David Vale, from Surrey Police's Roads Policing Unit, added: “Failure to obey the sign is also a criminal offence.

“It can result in the driver receiving three points on their licence and a £100 fine.”