Discussion
Absolutely horrific with 5 dead, with one child life threatening injuries.
Further reports stating one of the cars involved was going in the wrong direction.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cevywjkelw9o
Further reports stating one of the cars involved was going in the wrong direction.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cevywjkelw9o
Apparently, travelled 2 junctions on the wrong side.
Horrendous and it sends a shiver up my spine.
Its not a million miles away from where my wife works and travels that motorway every day.
Thoughts go out to everyone involved.
The emergency service staff that attended, blimey, that will never leave them,
And the poor child that survives, life will never be the same.
All gone in an instant.
Horrendous and it sends a shiver up my spine.
Its not a million miles away from where my wife works and travels that motorway every day.
Thoughts go out to everyone involved.
The emergency service staff that attended, blimey, that will never leave them,
And the poor child that survives, life will never be the same.
All gone in an instant.
Earthdweller said:
Tragic
The motorway at that point is split into two seperate carriageways some distance apart
Just north of the Services there is a cross over point ( see below )
Would I be wrong in assuming that’s for emergency workers access to quickly get to either carriageway?The motorway at that point is split into two seperate carriageways some distance apart
Just north of the Services there is a cross over point ( see below )
Must be some sort of barrier in place to stop the public accessing it?
Square Leg said:
Would I be wrong in assuming that’s for emergency workers access to quickly get to either carriageway?
Must be some sort of barrier in place to stop the public accessing it?
Looked on street view. Doesn't seem like it! I mean they're not marked with usual on/off ramp markings and there are no signposts. But other than a string of skinny bollards lining the mouth, nothing to stop you taking it like an exit.Must be some sort of barrier in place to stop the public accessing it?
This is trully horrendous. Some reports are saying they believed the Skoda travelled "at least two junctions" that could well be a few miles, I really struggle to understand why he didn't realise the tragic mistake he made. Also at that part of the road line of sight is pretty long, which also makes me wonder why the Toyota driver could not have taken action to avoid the Skoda, I guess there could be a whole host of reasons but, in the end it has been an horrific accident. Condolences to all those affected by this.
ianrb said:
It's for snow plows and gritters, allows them to turn around & get back to the depot rather than have to travel to next exit.
It's for all emergency vehicles not just gritters - Ambo, Police, HA, ISU etc. There are dozens of such access points scattered around the UK motorway system., some marked, some unmarked.littleredrooster said:
It's for all emergency vehicles not just gritters - Ambo, Police, HA, ISU etc. There are dozens of such access points scattered around the UK motorway system., some marked, some unmarked.
It's also Shap fell, one of the highest points on the motorway network, we do occasionally get bad weather up here.
k off!ninepoint2 said:
. Also at that part of the road line of sight is pretty long, which also makes me wonder why the Toyota driver could not have taken action to avoid the Skoda,
I've been passed by a wrong way driver on the M4. I was in lane 2, they were going full speed in lane 3. My brain simply did not process that she was on the same side as me until maybe a second, at most, before we passed. If we'd have been in the same lane, I would have barely started to jerk the wheel over. She did hit someone shortly after who aslo probably got no more then "oh, fu-" out before the crash. I think my brain did not process or accept where she was as it is totally unexpected/"impossible" and so your brain's filter disregards it. My attention was also more on a van I was passing in lane 1 who was wondering a bit towards my lane. People I've shown the video to without telling them what's happening have actually missed the wrong way driver completely while they watched for the van to do something silly.
It was very, very, affecting even not getting hit.
I was lucky not to be involved in a similar incident 20-odd years ago.
Was around 9pm in the autumn so headlights on, unlit dual carriageway.
Not much traffic either way & a very gradual left-hand curve.
I was in the inside lane, and noticed some cars flashing their lights on the other carriageway about 3-400m in the distance.
In the 4 or 5 seconds I was trying to work out what they were upset about, a car went past me on my side of the carriageway, fortunately in the other lane. Even though he had his lights on, I didn't realise he was going the wrong way until a split second before he passed as his headlights and those on the correct side all blended.
To the bloke above who queried why the person in the report didn't take avoiding action - have a think about the closing speed of two cars doing 70 mph in opposite directions. Even if you were anticipating someone driving down the wrong side of a motorway (which no-one is), should you see them at a distance of 200m you'd have less than 3 seconds to register what was happening and react.
Utterly ridiculous to suggest the innocent party might have been able to avoid this - remind yourself how short a time 3 seconds is with a stopwatch if need be.
It's nothing and that's when you are anticipating something happening, never mind it being totally unexpected as happened on the M6.
Was around 9pm in the autumn so headlights on, unlit dual carriageway.
Not much traffic either way & a very gradual left-hand curve.
I was in the inside lane, and noticed some cars flashing their lights on the other carriageway about 3-400m in the distance.
In the 4 or 5 seconds I was trying to work out what they were upset about, a car went past me on my side of the carriageway, fortunately in the other lane. Even though he had his lights on, I didn't realise he was going the wrong way until a split second before he passed as his headlights and those on the correct side all blended.
To the bloke above who queried why the person in the report didn't take avoiding action - have a think about the closing speed of two cars doing 70 mph in opposite directions. Even if you were anticipating someone driving down the wrong side of a motorway (which no-one is), should you see them at a distance of 200m you'd have less than 3 seconds to register what was happening and react.
Utterly ridiculous to suggest the innocent party might have been able to avoid this - remind yourself how short a time 3 seconds is with a stopwatch if need be.
It's nothing and that's when you are anticipating something happening, never mind it being totally unexpected as happened on the M6.
defblade said:
I've been passed by a wrong way driver on the M4. I was in lane 2, they were going full speed in lane 3. My brain simply did not process that she was on the same side as me until maybe a second, at most, before we passed. If we'd have been in the same lane, I would have barely started to jerk the wheel over. She did hit someone shortly after who aslo probably got no more then "oh, fu-" out before the crash.
I think my brain did not process or accept where she was as it is totally unexpected/"impossible" and so your brain's filter disregards it. My attention was also more on a van I was passing in lane 1 who was wondering a bit towards my lane. People I've shown the video to without telling them what's happening have actually missed the wrong way driver completely while they watched for the van to do something silly.
It was very, very, affecting even not getting hit.
Didn't see your post before I wrote mine but you are bang on.I think my brain did not process or accept where she was as it is totally unexpected/"impossible" and so your brain's filter disregards it. My attention was also more on a van I was passing in lane 1 who was wondering a bit towards my lane. People I've shown the video to without telling them what's happening have actually missed the wrong way driver completely while they watched for the van to do something silly.
It was very, very, affecting even not getting hit.
My tale above was one of two times since I've been driving that things were so out of place they took more time to process - so out of the ordinary it reduced the time to react.
Both times I had to pull over a few miles later as the realisation of "what could have been" hit home and literally gave me the shakes.
The other time I was on my bike going between Lowdham and Southwell on an early summer morning - about 6am.
NSL road, doing around 50 & went over a crest to be faced with a lorry overtaking another lorry, one on my side of the road & both about 200m away and closing. They couldn't do anything, I couldn't slam the brakes on as that would only result in one or the other flattening me.
Ended up taking my Fireblade up and onto a raised grass verge at around 30mph & praying there wasn't a ditch or something that would throw me back onto the road.
Would estimate there was less than 4 seconds between the "oh sh*t" moment, hitting the brakes, working out what was the best course of action and implementing it before going under the wheels of an HGV.
I had the experience of meeting a wrong way driver in Nevada a couple of years ago. It is difficult to understand how quickly it comes at you, and there is the belief that it can't be real so it takes a moment to react.
I would say we were each doing about 60 MPH on the highway when he came round the curve. I pulled out of the way and there was no accident - called it in.
Took me longer than it should have but it was OK. Very sorry for the unfortunate people here.
I would say we were each doing about 60 MPH on the highway when he came round the curve. I pulled out of the way and there was no accident - called it in.
Took me longer than it should have but it was OK. Very sorry for the unfortunate people here.
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