Hi tigwig, You are right to ask this question and a very Important question at that, a lot of people are under the impression regards the Hard shoulder, It is there for an emergency ONLY, not for picnics, to use their phone, or to read a map, whem in an EMERGENCY you should pull WELL INTO THE LANE as far as you can possibily go to your left & if poss, get on the grass, Hazard on, It is not a legal requierment regards the Warning Triangle but If you feel better, USE IT. But always look to your rear after placing the Triangle in place, If the weather is fine get as near the fence or over it if you can, I have seen people with flat tyres right on the edge of the shoulder, that in turn can cause a lorry at the last moment swerve to avoid you thus causing a pile up just because some Bloody CLOWN has not used his/her head, Someone said there are more deaths on a motorway than any other road, the Motorways are the safest roads in the UK, It is the people on the motorways that cause the pile ups, as regards deaths, yes the most deaths on Motorways are on the hard shoulder, I have followed HGVs dropping off to sleep ( FACT) I have seen HGV pushed on the hard shoulder by some idiot looking at a map in their car (FACT) Ihave also seen a car have a REAR WHEEL BLOW OUT in the 3rd lane crossed the motorway through the hedge and end up in the service area (Hilton Park M6 Southbound, The police are not stupid neither will they pull you for something stupid, they will pick a safe location to Flash you then stop you leaving their patrol car a distance behind you, But on saying that I have seen them smacked a few times by H.G.V. to end this sermon on safety, when on a Motorway, Try and look as far as possible in front of your car, look for Hazard lights coming on, look out for HGVs from abroad, A clue, the writing on the back of the lorry, the Number Plates, these drivers cannot see your car if you are in their blind spot (Along side their passenger door, DANGER SIDE.