British drivers slammed for walking on major motorway during police incident - 'Clearly not acceptable!'
Drivers and pedestrians were seen walking along the M6 during a police incident
FACEBOOK/LANCASHIRE POLICE
Lancashire Police has blasted drivers after they were found to be walking on the motorway and even playing football while an incident was taking place.
Emergency services were called to deal with an incident along the M6 near Junction 33 over the weekend in response to a "distressed male on a bridge".
While the traffic was blocked on the road, drivers "thought it was acceptable to get out of their vehicles to see what was going on," resulting in Lancashire Police having to issue a stern warning.
Some motorists were seen to allow their children out of the car to "run freely" on the carriageway, while others started to play with a frisbee and some played football.
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Several cars were left abandoned on the road after the motorway was reopened
FACEBOOK/LANCASHIRE POLICE
Some of the vehicle owners were even seen abandoning their vehicles to enter the motorway service stations, which required some to cross to the opposite side of the motorway.
Lancashire Police highlighted how the motorway was not closed for a significant period of time, making the decision for some motorists to get out of their cars even more curious.
This was heightened by the fact that some drivers were allowing their children to get out of the car and wander around the motorway.
The individual in question was eventually arrested for Aggravated Vehicle Taking, driving while unfit through drink/drugs and disqualified driving.
Since the incident did not last as long as first expected, a number of abandoned vehicles blocking the motorway were left when the stretch of road was reopened.
Lancashire Police stated that some passengers were unable to get back to their vehicles once they had exited, meaning drivers were unable to set off again.
Writing on Facebook, the force stated: "Whilst we understand that some motorists will have found themselves in a frustrating situation, these people put themselves and others in a very dangerous position.
"They also impeded officers getting to the scene of the emergency, and significantly delayed the motorway traffic from flowing freely again."
Rule 272 of the Highway Code states that drivers must not pick up or set down anyone, or walk on a motorway, except in an emergency - which the police argue was not the case over the weekend.
The police force stated that it was seeing this trend of walking on the motorway increase in recent times, adding that the behaviour is "clearly not acceptable".
The "dangerous situation" created by this behaviour forces the police to divert attention away from the incident and towards keeping order on the road, especially when everyone should be inside their cars.
Lancashire Police concluded its Facebook post, stating: "The motorway can be a dangerous place, and that danger may not be immediately obvious.
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Drivers were seen wandering around on the motorway for extended periods
FACEBOOK/LANCASHIRE POLICE
"We urge people who find themselves in a tailback on the motorway to remain in their vehicles and to await instruction or direction from the Police or National Highways.
"Let us be able to concentrate on dealing with the initial emergency to get you moving as soon as possible."
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