Broken down on the motorway

If your bike stops on the motorway

1. Get to the left. Hard shoulder, emergency area or the next exit if the bike still moves.
2. Get behind the barrier. Leave the bike, climb over the barrier and stand well up the bank, away from the traffic.
3. Stuck in a live lane? Call 999 straight away. Keep your helmet on and get off the carriageway if you safely can.
4. Call us once you’re safe, and send a WhatsApp location pin or the number on the nearest marker post.

Never try to fix the bike on the hard shoulder. On smart motorways with no hard shoulder, use an emergency area (the orange-surfaced lay-bys) and the SOS phone there connects you to National Highways.

Why get behind the barrier?

Vehicles do hit stopped bikes and people on the hard shoulder, often drivers who are tired or distracted. Standing next to the bike, even on the hard shoulder, puts you in the line of a vehicle that drifts. Behind the barrier and up the bank is far safer, even in the rain.

Telling us where you are

• A WhatsApp location pin is best. See how to share your location.
• Otherwise: the motorway, the direction, the last junction you passed, and the number on the nearest blue-and-white marker post.

If the bike is still moving

If it’s losing power but still running, get to the next exit or service area rather than stopping on the hard shoulder. It’s much safer, and quicker for the truck to reach.

See our pages for each North West motorway.