Motorists have been warned they could be slapped with £100 fines and issued penalty points for committing serious driving offences.
Kent Police revealed that its officers will be cracking down on drivers who reverse on the hard shoulder along a major A-road.
The tougher rules follow an incident which occurred last week, which saw emergency services called to a serious collision on the A2 Watling Street, heading coastbound near Gravesend.
The crash, which involved two cars and a heavy goods vehicle, caused significant disruption as police, paramedics and recovery teams worked to assist those involved and make the stretch of road safe again.
Despite officers working to manage traffic and reopen the route as quickly as possible, the delays proved too much for some impatient drivers who were caught completing dangerous driving manoeuvres.
Several motorists took the dangerous step of reversing along the hard shoulder to reach an earlier slip road.
Shockingly, a handful of drivers reportedly went further and turned their vehicles around to drive the wrong way.
In the UK, the hard shoulder can only be used for emergencies, such as breakdowns or medical emergencies, or to move a vehicle safely out of the flow of traffic.
Drivers can only use the hard shoulder for emergencies
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Misuse of the hard shoulder can be a serious offence that can result in a £100 fine and three penalty points on a driving licence.
Officers from Kent Police detailed how a total of 16 drivers were reported for traffic offences, each now facing hefty fines.
Police warned that reversing on a fast-moving A-road, even on the hard shoulder, leaves very little margin for error.
A driver or passenger exiting a vehicle, an unexpected obstacle, or a sudden move back into the carriageway could have resulted in another serious crash.
Drivers resorted to using the hard shoulder to get out of traffic jams
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X/GMPTRAFFICSpeaking after the incident, Inspector David Crompton said: “Officers fully appreciate the frustration of being stuck in traffic.
“However, we close roads for only as long as is necessary, whether that‘s to assist casualties, investigate life-threatening collisions, or clear the road of debris that could damage cars or lead to further accidents.”
He warned that drivers caught using the hard shoulder for anything other than a lawful reason “could obstruct emergency vehicles heading towards a serious collision, impacting injured drivers”.
“These motorists were reported just 13 minutes before the road reopened, so with a little more patience, they would have avoided a probable fine along with penalty points,” Mr Crompton added.
More than 16 drivers were issued fines for using the hard shoulder in non-emergency situations
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GREATER MANCHESTER POLICENational Highways shared: “Unless you see signs or signals telling you otherwise, it’s illegal to drive on the hard shoulder, or to stop on it except in an emergency.
“You should only use it in the case of a sudden critical problem with your vehicle which forces you to stop before you can reach the next junction or service area to leave the motorway.”
The transport agency explained that in some places, they have converted the hard shoulder for use as an additional traffic lane, either permanently or at busy times.
But if there is no solid white line separating the left-hand lane, “this means it’s a permanent traffic lane, known as all-lane running”.
