MORE than half of Britain’s motorists would not offer help if they saw someone stranded with a broken down vehicle at the side of the road.

And in the survey of 2,000 motorists, conducted by Green Flag Motoring Assistance, the most likely to stop were men (60 per cent). Younger drivers were least likely to stop and only 35 per cent of the women questioned said they would help.

Green Flag spokesman, Nigel Charlesworth, said: “The results are a likely indicator of today’s society, where drivers in general, and young women in particular, are more aware of the potential dangers of stopping to help strangers.

“Unfortunately, this means people experiencing genuine breakdowns are unlikely to receive much help unless they are a customer of a quick-response breakdown provider.”

Green Flag offers some tips for if your car does break down:

* Pull off the road as far as possible and switch on your hazard lights.

* Use a mobile phone or walk to the nearest phone and call your breakdown organisation. Let them know if you are in a vulnerable situation.

* Make sure children are safe - do not leave them alone in the car.

* If you break down on the motorway, pull onto the hard shoulder, get out of the car by the passenger door and wait for assistance on the verge.

* When assistance arrives, check the person knows your name and has been sent to help you specifically.

Green Flag’s SMS text messaging service provides extra peace of mind for stranded motorists.