having watched the Canadian programs about breakdown and recovery services - the main import over there seems to be to get the traffic moving again, rather than blocking the roads, it does seem that over here they are more concerned with box ticking on the health and safety form (I have nothing against safety) than they are about getting the log jam of traffic on the move again.
I once spent 9 hours getting home as they had closed the dartford tunnel we stopped moving at about 6pm, there were cars with mums and babies- cars with kids, all trying to get home. we didnt move until 10.30pm when they sent us along the A13 to the blackwall tunnel - I eventually got there t 1am, and home at 2.30am, having left work at 5pm. it was absolute chaos, you couldnt pull off the A13 as every petrol station was crammed, every road chocca, at midnight I was a mile from the blackwall tunnel and unable to turn round when they announced the dartford tunnel open again.