Danger and delays on Melbourne's Eastlink

Melbourne's Eastlink has released footage of near-misses with broken down cars, a danger which costs motorists thousands of hours in delays every year.

One video shows a truck broken down in Eastlink's middle lane, forcing drivers to screech and swerve.

Stranded, cars fly by at 100 km/h, while others duck and weave behind him.

In another, a motorist waits for a mate in the emergency lane. Dangerously dashing between traffic, he collects a spare tyre and returns to his car.

Eastlink's Peter De Luca says these behaviours are avoidable, with flat tyres, oil troubles and empty fuel tanks the main culprits.

"Sitting, standing anywhere near a freeway without your vehicle protecting you is just downright stupid," he said.

VicRoads' Dean Zabrieszach said the impact on motorists was "enormous".

"We're not there to be your local petrol station. There are plenty of petrol stations before you get on a freeway."

Last year, almost 11,000 cars broke down on Melbourne's freeways, and all up caused more than 2737 hours in delays.

The RACV says fines for truck drivers should be considered, as these professionals often didn't take due care.

This morning, four motorists broke down on Eastlink and abandoned their vehicles before response vans reached them.

"Don't get out of your car and try to fix the problem," Mr De Luca said.

Motorists are advised to check fluid levels, think about the age of the battery and look at the condition of tyres before embarking on a trip.

"You're actually impacting the rest of Melbourne," Mr Zabrieszach said.