Unfortunately like all these things there is never a simple answer, I was going up the A1M a couple of months ago, 2 lanes, I could see something in the NS lane, as I went passed it it was a 10-15ft length of heavy duty armoured electric cable about 3" diameter or at least that's what it looked like to me.
What were my options,
Pull over onto the hard shoulder, reverse back (illegal) with my hazard lights on & retrieve the cables (assuming I was strong enough), Pullover to the hard shoulder, get out of the car to make the call
Call 999 whilst I continued my journey
Rightly or wrongly I chose option 3, actually I suppose there was a 4th option, say fkem & don't do anything
The law allows you to take option 3
" A person does not contravene a provision of this regulation if, at the time of the alleged contravention—
(a)he is using the telephone or other device to call the police, fire, ambulance or other emergency service on 112 or 999;
(b)he is acting in response to a genuine emergency; and
(c)it is unsafe or impracticable for him to cease driving in order to make the call (or, in the case of an alleged contravention of paragraph (3)(b), for the provisional licence holder to cease driving while the call was being made)."
It would have been unsafe for you to pull over to the hard shoulder and stop to make the call.
BTW, the regulations do not require you to get out of the car, just that you not be "driving" (where "driving" includes being stopped at traffic lights or in queuing traffic), but it is generally regarded as unsafe to remain in your car while stopped on the hard shoulder.
