Filenews 3 April 2025
Advice for parking vehicles in case of emergency, in the safety lanes on the highway, was issued by the Police on the occasion of the terrible traffic collision of two heavy vehicles, which occurred last Monday at the height of Skarinou.
According to the Police, for safety reasons, stopping and parking vehicles in the lanes of the motorways is prohibited.
However, if an emergency arises (e.g. mechanical failure, driver malaise, accident, etc.) we should park our vehicle very carefully in the safety lane of the road.
No people are allowed
No human trafficking is allowed on any part of the motorway or expressway unless:
• Is a worker or technician who deals with projects of any kind in the field,
• Is a police officer, firefighter, doctor or nurse performing duty,
• Is a person associated with the examination of a road accident or the provision of assistance to accident victims;
• Is a technician or other person involved in the examination of a road accident or the provision of assistance to accident victims, and
• A technician or other person involved in the repair of towing or moving a vehicle, goods or other objects.
In the event of such an emergency:
• Turn on the vehicle's hazard lights and drive it carefully in the safety lane
• By leaving the hazard lights on, we park in the safety lane, in a way that does not disturb or pose a danger to passing vehicles.
• Get out of your car carefully. If possible from the left doors 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, invite them to go to a secured place away from the road.
• During our stay at the site, we avoid unnecessary movements. For more safety, we stand in front of the car in relation to its course.
• For even greater safety, if there is a safety barrier, on the side of the road, we move behind it.
• To be clearly visible to other drivers, it is recommended to wear a fluorescent vest.
• If it is night, wear a fluorescent vest and make sure there is sufficient lighting to be clearly visible from passing cars
• If you need to wait for roadside assistance, it is better to also leave the road to a safe place until the roadside assistance arrives
• For the same reason, we place a phosphor triangle behind the vehicle, at a distance of 50 meters if we are in a highway safety lane and at a distance of 15 meters if we are on an urban road.
• We do not attempt to intersect the traffic lanes of the motorway. This involves multiple risks.
• With our mobile phone we ask for immediate help either through the Citizen's Line at 1460, the Police at 112 or by calling roadside assistance.
• If the forced parking in the safety lane is due to overheating of the engine of our vehicle, we immediately turn the engine off and call the competent services.
• We always keep in mind that in the event of a stop on the motorway, the risks to our physical integrity are increased. That's why we stay in the position in front of the car or behind the safety barrier, without moving unnecessarily in the safety lane.
• If your vehicle needs to remain in the safety lane for some time, do not move the phosphorous triangles. Before leaving, we lock the car, taking all our personal belongings with us.
Instructions in the event of a road collision
In the event of a road collision on the motorway, drivers, occupants of vehicles and occupants of passing vehicles are the first to be on the scene and the initial safety measures that will be taken until the arrival of the Police and the Fire Brigade are very important:
• Quickly and calmly assess the area of the incident to make sure the environment is safe (there is no danger 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 people, do not move unless absolutely necessary (when there is a danger to their lives e.g. from passing cars or in case of fire) and take them to a secured place
• NEVER REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE HELMET from an injured motorcycle/moped rider, even if the injured person is well seen, 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 moving on the highway:
• Immediately stop the vehicle in the safety lane
• Without wasting time, help everyone on board to get out of the vehicle, after making sure that the road is clear of passing cars and from a part of the car that is not on fire
• With the help of a fire extinguisher, if possible, try to extinguish the fire until the arrival of the Fire Service and the Police.
• Always remember that we do not take any action that endangers our life or the lives of others
• In general, drivers should be aware that in case of immobilization or parking of their vehicle due to an emergency on the highway, they must be particularly careful and take the appropriate actions, taking all the necessary preventive measures, because the risk of causing a road collision is not remote.
