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Using Road Signs to pinpoint your location

30 July 2015 | Bruce Compton

If you have put the wrong fuel in your vehicle, helping us to pinpoint your exact location will inevitably reduce the amount of time that you are stranded and reduce the amount of damage to your vehicle.

If you have put petrol in diesel or vice versa, and not realised before leaving the fuel station, knowing the location where you have broken down will help us to find you as quickly and safely as possible.  This will have a huge impact on the length of inconvenience and discomfort for you.  Most importantly though, once the wrong fuel has started its journey around the engine, the quicker that it is removed, the less long term damage is likely to occur to the filters and seals, saving you money.

Driver location signs, now widely used across the motorway and A-road network pinpoint exactly where you are.  They are visible from the road on the near side verge at every 500m.   This may be reduced in some locations where obstacles might seclude them.

Most of us are aware that the M number or A number on a driver location sign indicates the type of road and route number.   Below this, there should be either an A or a B . This tells us which direction you are travelling in:

roadside location marker

M27 location sign

On the M25, ‘A’ indicates clockwise on the main carriageway and ‘B’ anticlockwise.

On other Motorways ‘A’ is generally used to indicate northbound or ‘Away’ from London and ‘B’ southbound or ‘Back’ to London.

On motorway sliproads, you will see J, K, L or M depending on direction and location.

Distances are accurate to within 20 metres and are generally quoted from the beginning of the motorway. On the M25 distances are measured clockwise from the Dartford crossing.

Being able to pinpoint your precise location from these road signs will greatly increase our chances of a favourable outcome from your wrong fuel mistake.  Petrol in diesel can potentially cause extra damage if not removed quickly and effectively.

For any further information or advice on putting petrol in diesel or any other questions regarding wrong fuel errors, please see……