'Barefoot' motorway crossing man 'lucky to be alive' Published duration 25 August 2015

media caption Vehicle breaks-down in outside lane

A man who crossed three lanes of a motorway is "lucky to be alive", a motoring safety group has said.

In a video given to the BBC, a car towing a trailer is seen coming to a halt in the outside lane of the M4 after a trailer tyre has blown out.

The apparently barefooted passenger is seen leaving the car and stopping the traffic before the trailer is moved to a hatched area.

Avon and Somerset Police said it is looking to identify the driver.

Supt Tony Godwin said it is "clear" the driver and passenger were trying to get to a place of safety but added their actions could have had "tragic consequences".

"A motorway is an extremely dangerous place for pedestrians and you should never attempt to cross live fast-moving lanes of the motorway.

image copyright Gordon Young image caption The apparently barefooted man is seen trying to stop the motorway traffic on Saturday

"If you... break down on the motorway, you should move to the hard shoulder if it's safe to do so, but if you're stuck in lane three... put your hazard lights on and if the central reservation is big enough, move there and call 999 immediately."

An Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) spokesman agreed with the police advice.

"The driver did well to control the vehicle after the tyre on the trailer blew-out," he said

"It would have been extremely unfortunate to survive the blow-out only to be hit by a car travelling at 70mph-plus.

"Other drivers wouldn't expect to see pedestrians on the motorway so he's extremely lucky to be alive."

The Highway Code states if you cannot get your vehicle onto the hard shoulder on a motorway following a breakdown or other incident you should switch on your hazard warning lights and only leave the vehicle when you can get safely clear of the carriageway.

Related Topics Bristol