In view of the danger of parking a vehicle in the emergency lane on a motorway, since both the driver of the car and the occupants of it are exposed to immediate danger from passing cars, safety measures must be taken.
In general, stopping and parking a vehicle in the safety lane of the motorway is prohibited. The safety lane shall be used ONLY in emergency situations and ONLY when the vehicle is stopped due to mechanical failure or in other exceptional cases (e.g. emergency illness, or assistance in a road accident). In such cases, the following security measures must ALWAYS be taken:
• Avoid stopping at the edge of the motorway. If absolutely necessary and where possible, drive the car carefully to the nearest exit in order to identify a safe parking spot
• At the same time, turn on the emergency lights of your vehicle
• Then, when you locate a safe spot and park the vehicle and only if you are sure that there is no risk to you or the occupants, carefully get out of the vehicle
• If you are carrying other passengers, help them exit the vehicle from the side that is not on the road and only after the road is clear of passing cars, and take them to a secure spot away from the road
• Then place the safety warning triangles behind the stationary vehicle so they will be seen by approaching vehicles
• If it is night, wear a fluorescent vest and make sure there is sufficient lighting to be visible from passing cars
• If you need to wait for road assistance it is better to also move away from the road to a safe place until the arrival of road assistance
If there is no other way out and parking in the Emergency Lane is required
• Inform the Police Headquarters or 112/199 immediately for assistance
• Park the vehicle in the Emergency Lane as far away from the road and near the railing and turn on the emergency lights
• Get out of the vehicle carefully and make sure there are no passing vehicles
• If there are occupants of the vehicle, after making sure that the motorway is clear and there are no passing cars, help them exit the side that is not on the road and put them behind the safety guard bars
• Place the safety warning triangles at a distance of approximately 50 metres from the stationary vehicle at least to be perceived in a timely manner
• If it is night wear a fluorescent vest and make sure there is sufficient lighting to be visible from passing cars
• The car must be moved as soon as possible. If you need to wait for road assistance, wait behind the safety protective bars until road assistance arrives.
In the event of a road accident, drivers, occupants of vehicles and occupants of passing vehicles are the first to be at the scene and the initial safety measures to be taken until the arrival of the Police and Fire Brigade are very important.
• Quickly and calmly assess the event area to make sure the environment is safe (there is no risk from other passing cars, etc.)
• Protect yourself and others by taking ALL appropriate protective measures, as mentioned above for all vehicles involved
• When there are injured persons, do not move them unless absolutely necessary (when there is a risk to their lives e.g. from passing cars or in the event of a fire) and transfer them to a safe location
• NEVER REMOVE THE PROTECTIONAL GEAR from an injured motorcycle/motorcycle, even if the injured person looks good, unless absolutely necessary
• Ask for the help of bystanders and call 112 or 199 for an ambulance, giving accurate information about the incident.
In the event of a fire in a vehicle travelling on the motorway:
• Immediately immobilize the vehicle in the safety lane
• Without wasting time, help all occupants exit the vehicle, making sure that the road is cleaF of passing cars and from a point of the car that is not ablaze
• With the help of a fire extinguisher, if possible, try to extinguish the fire until the arrival of the Fire Department and the Police.
• Always remember that we do not take any action that endangers our lives or the lives of other persons .
Generally, drivers should be aware that in the event of a stop or parking of their vehicle due to an emergency on the motorway, they must be very careful and take appropriate action, taking all the preventive measures they need, because the risk of an accident is not remote.
