M62 closure: Being stuck in standstill for seven hours on the M62 made me realise something

For many people travelling for a staycation, going on day trips or doing the daily commute, driving along the M62 can make or break your day. Our reporter was surprised to discover that gridlock traffic didn’t ruin her holiday, it just made her seven hours late for it - and it taught her kids an important lesson.

When I was a journalist in Manchester and Salford, commuting along the M62 was a necessary evil. Some days it was a one-hour journey from Wakefield, and other times it was triple that.

We had been on a day out with my mum and my three daughters before travelling for a weekend break in Bridlington on May 29, 2025.

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Almost as soon as we joined the M62 from Stockport, we came to a standstill. It should have taken around an hour and a half from here, but our sat nav said three hours. Then four.

Sophie Mei Lan Malin was stuck on the same stretch of the M62 for over seven hoursplaceholder image
Sophie Mei Lan Malin was stuck on the same stretch of the M62 for over seven hours

At first, it was frustrating; it had been a long day, and we were tired and hungry. Then there was confusion. We barely had any phone signal, but at this point, we could see people getting out of cars to stretch their legs.

The youngest, who is still a toddler, was getting restless, but I wasn’t about to get out of the car with her.

It was mainly men getting out of their cars, which can feel quite intimidating when you’ve a car full of women, but everyone seemed jovial and chatting.

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We wound down our window to ask what was happening. The men nearest to us explained that there had been a horrific accident with an air ambulance in attendance.

Sophie Mei Lan Malin was stuck in her car with the kids for seven hours in standstillplaceholder image
Sophie Mei Lan Malin was stuck in her car with the kids for seven hours in standstill

The next junction and that stretch of the M62 were closed. My mum and I were just grateful we had been the fortunate ones stuck in traffic rather than involved in a crash. I often think that how you react in situations like these - from transport delays to your suitcase going missing - is a good test of a person's values.

Yes, it was a hot sunny day and we were sweaty, bored and tired not to mention hungry and needing the toilet but I am annoyingly optimistic in such situations.

Little did I know at the time that we would be stuck on this stretch of the M62 for the next five hours.

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Fortunately we had plenty of water, snacks and clothes as we were all packed up for Bridlington, despite not having a recommended car survival kit.

Sophie Mei Lan Malin with daughters Jasmine and Arianna Hale who finally made it on holiday to Bridlingtonplaceholder image
Sophie Mei Lan Malin with daughters Jasmine and Arianna Hale who finally made it on holiday to Bridlington

As the hours dragged by we got out our craft supplies and the kids began painting pictures. This wasn’t my wisest move with a lively toddler but with dying phones and no signal, it was all we could think of.

Now it was getting dark, still with no news, so we managed to cover the windows again so we could get into our pyjamas, psychologically that felt better as it was something we could do to prepare for finally getting to our destination.

I was amazed to see people had made friends, there were no angry people beeping their horns, we were all in the same position regardless of whether you were driving a supercar or an old banger. There’s something quite humbling when there’s nothing any of us could have done. Some people were even handing out bottles of water.

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Eventually the news rippled from car to car, via word of mouth, that they were going to turn us all around one by one and re-route us.

This took another hour. To our misfortune however our battery decided to die when we were instructed to turn around.

By this point I had gotten the giggles which luckily lightened the mood in the car. The Highways Agency staff helped us move the car onto the hard shoulder and said he would be back to help us. An hour passed and there was no sign of him but the workers were all clearly overstretched and doing their best. At this point there were other families whose cars had broken down and I felt like I was on an episode of Wacky Races. We called AA who were really helpful and caring but they could only get someone out by 1am. Our hazard had gone by this point and we wish we had an external light as recommended in car kits but you always think you’ll not break down. Thankfully we managed to get the attention of another staff member who came over with a battery starting kit. He had been working in the scorching sun for hours but he too was so friendly and just wanted to get everyone off the M62 safely.

Thankfully it worked so we could be rerouted. By 1.30am we finally arrived in Bridlington. Our trip certainly made the shower, budget accommodation and the whole trip feel amazing as it helped us to appreciate every moment.

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