Road closures - Why???

Road closures - Why???

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Discussion

JensenA

Original Poster:

5,671 posts

237 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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This morning while driving to work in Grimsby along the A180, I noticed the opposite West bound carriageway was closed, I later discovered that there had been a (sadly) fatal accident involving a van that had driven into the back of a stationary truck killing the van driver. There were 3 coppers in the missile of the road having a chat, and another guy with a tripod and camera taking photos.When I left work at 6pm, I got on the A180 at Stallingboro, only to be diverted off 2 miles later at Immingham. Now bear in mind that Grimsby is one of the busiest freight ports in the UK, and the A180 has a huge volume f freight traffic on it, and all that freight traffic had to make its own way along narrow B roads, with no diversion signs, and no coppers directing traffic at non-traffic light road junctions. My 11 mile journey took me 95 minutes!! Why the fck can the police just close roads with no consideration to road users.
Earlier this year I drove down to kent from Grimsby, a 140 mile journey it took me 8 hours. I got on the A1 past Newark, and 5 miles later was diverted off the A1, through rural B roads. The A1 was 'closed'. About an hour later I got back on the A1 for about 20 miles, then it happened again, back through rural B roads with a million other cars and Trucks trying to find our way through back roads back onto the A1. After about 2 hours I managed to get back on the A1, only to discover it was closed again! Eventually I got onto the A14, guess what? Yup, that was closed too. Eventually I got back onto it and joined the M11, half an hour later can you guess what happened? It was closed.

Last year I went on a motor bike holiday to the south of France, I can't remember seeing any significant Road works, I went past a couple where one lane of a carriageway was closed, there were a few cones on the road, and workmen were actually working!. On the last day of the holiday I rode about 500 enjoyable miles to Dieppe in about 7 hours, Caught the ferry to Newhaven, and got off it at about 9:30 that night for my short 250 mile journey home - it took me 8 hours! The M11 was closed, a 2 hour track along rural B roads trying to join up with it again. Eventually got onto the A1, only to be diverted off it because that was 'closed'.

Why do we motorists keep putting up with these road closures? It's happening more and more, the police seem to be able to just shut down a major motorway for hours on end to 'investigate' an accident. The Highways Agency seem to be able to close roads at will with little or no warning. Isnt it about time Motorists made themselves heard, and said enough is enough. Something needs to be done!!


grrrrrrrrr.

mcg_

1,452 posts

99 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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I imagine if a member of your family had a fatal accident you would want them to keep the road shut for as long as needed to know all the facts. It's hardly the end of the world if your journey takes a bit longer, where as someones loved one won't be coming home that night.

Road closures for roadworks. If the road needs to be shut for works to be carried out safely, it is what it is unfortunately. Planned road closures have to be noticed weeks before. Try roadworks.org to plan your journeys if needed.

I understand your frustration, but theres f all you can do.

JensenA

Original Poster:

5,671 posts

237 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
quotequote all
Imagine your frustration, on the way to the airport to go on the holiday you've saved up for all year - and the road is closed for hours! It doesn't happen in Europe, the priority there is to get the road opened as soon as possible. I passed the scene of the accident on the way to work, 3 coppers were stood in the road chatting, while another took photos. There didn't seem to be any rush, why should they rush, there is no one to answer too, they can simply keep the road closed for as long as they want to, sod the motorists and Truckers. Its the same with roadworks, look at the M1, I spent 3 years travelling up and down that doing 50mph, i never actually saw anyone working, there is no urgency.

zarjaz1991

3,721 posts

130 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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I believe Highways England (or whatever they're called this week) scared some time ago that the priority with accident road closures had changed form "get the road open as soon as possible" to "get evidence for prosecutions". Which is why roads are closed for entire days or longer, even after fairly minor prangs. It's all about prosecuting motorists.

DoubleD

22,154 posts

115 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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I presume you mean mainland Europe? How do you know how all their priorities work?

CoolHands

19,441 posts

202 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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I think it sucks and the ‘imagine it was your kitten that died’ crap is a load of rubbish. Set a time limit if the road must be closed, say 2 hours and that’s it. Load of photos, take some measurements, job done.

Ryan-nunm9

207 posts

78 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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CoolHands said:
I think it sucks and the ‘imagine it was your kitten that died’ crap is a load of rubbish. Set a time limit if the road must be closed, say 2 hours and that’s it. Load of photos, take some measurements, job done.
Says the professional Collision investigator!?!?!?! Why give them 2 hours, why not 1 or even 30 mins. I mean, don't worry about investigating a fatal incident properly - there's some numpties who need to get home for their dinner!

Rediclulous and childish complaint.

Cops get slagged off for not doing their job, yet when they do it properly (investigating a fatality) people get the hump!


Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

262 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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CoolHands said:
I think it sucks and the ‘imagine it was your kitten that died’ crap is a load of rubbish.
Pathetic. That is all.

CoolHands

19,441 posts

202 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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Not really. Who decides that 100,000s of thousands should be inconvenienced because 1 person has died? In some parts of the world nothing gets investigated, another (like here) to the nth degree. It’s a line and somewhere there has to be a cut off.

mcg_

1,452 posts

99 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
quotequote all
JensenA said:
Imagine your frustration, on the way to the airport to go on the holiday you've saved up for all year - and the road is closed for hours! It doesn't happen in Europe, the priority there is to get the road opened as soon as possible. I passed the scene of the accident on the way to work, 3 coppers were stood in the road chatting, while another took photos. There didn't seem to be any rush, why should they rush, there is no one to answer too, they can simply keep the road closed for as long as they want to, sod the motorists and Truckers. Its the same with roadworks, look at the M1, I spent 3 years travelling up and down that doing 50mph, i never actually saw anyone working, there is no urgency.
unless it's an emergency road closure (bridge collapsed or something), you can find out if the road is going to be shut quite easily. Easier to moan though I guess.

syl

693 posts

82 months

Tuesday 31st July 2018
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Why? Because they can but more importantly, because they don't have to pay for it in lost time and productivity.

Take as long as necessary to get people out of the car and into an ambulance. I have no problem with that. Then bulldoze the wreckage off the road and get the road open again. Recover it in the middle of the night when the road is lightly used.

The government won't pay the millions extra required to run a decent NHS service but it's happy for US to pay the millions it costs the local economy to investigate an accident.

JensenA

Original Poster:

5,671 posts

237 months

Wednesday 1st August 2018
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mcg_ said:
unless it's an emergency road closure (bridge collapsed or something), you can find out if the road is going to be shut quite easily. Easier to moan though I guess.
If you think tat is the solution, then I think you live in dreamland, with no grasp of reality.

mcg_

1,452 posts

99 months

Wednesday 1st August 2018
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JensenA said:
mcg_ said:
unless it's an emergency road closure (bridge collapsed or something), you can find out if the road is going to be shut quite easily. Easier to moan though I guess.
If you think tat is the solution, then I think you live in dreamland, with no grasp of reality.
If I think what is a solution? Finding an alternative route when I know a road is going to be shut? What a silly idea I must be in dreamland.

You have come across as an absolute numpty.

JensenA

Original Poster:

5,671 posts

237 months

Monday 6th August 2018
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in the incident I described, the road was closed for over 24 hours. No consideration was given to the thousands of motorists it affected. As I've already said, Grimsby is the busiest UK freight port in the UK, there is no 'real' alternative route that anyone can take, so all traffic was forced to travel along minor B roads for over 24 hours. Please don't tell me the Police need a road closed for 24 hours to investigate why a val crashed into the back of a truck!
When the A1 was closed, again everyone had to take a detour through country lanes. Zero consideration is given to motorists. If one carriageway is closed - and why it is closed is another question - then the other carriageway should be used, at least the traffic can keep flowing.
The point is WHY do they close the roads. Answer, they close them because there is no consideration to the road users.

vikingaero

11,192 posts

176 months

Tuesday 7th August 2018
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JensenA said:
The point is WHY do they close the roads. Answer, they close them because there is no consideration to the road users.
They close the roads because Richard Brunstrom, the former head of the ACPO, and Mad Mullah of The Traffic Taliban, decreed to other forces that EVERY accident is a crime scene and that roads should be closed until they had been fully investigated. And UK forces have carried that on ever since.

JensenA

Original Poster:

5,671 posts

237 months

Thursday 9th August 2018
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vikingaero said:
JensenA said:
The point is WHY do they close the roads. Answer, they close them because there is no consideration to the road users.
They close the roads because Richard Brunstrom, the former head of the ACPO, and Mad Mullah of The Traffic Taliban, decreed to other forces that EVERY accident is a crime scene and that roads should be closed until they had been fully investigated. And UK forces have carried that on ever since.
Exactly No consideration whatsoever is given to the thousands of motorists who use the roads. Place measurement markers, Photograph the accident. Send a drone up to video the scene.Then re-open the road as soon as possible.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

262 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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mcg_ said:
If I think what is a solution? Finding an alternative route when I know a road is going to be shut? What a silly idea I must be in dreamland.

You have come across as an absolute numpty.
You are being far too generous in your summary. I cant imagine being the kind of scum that resents being delayed because people have lost their lives in a car crash, I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.



FiF

45,506 posts

258 months

Friday 10th August 2018
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I imagine the original poster being one of those complaining when the motorway was closed when someone was on an overhead bridge threatening to jump, and there were various folks trying to talk him down or working in the carriageway trying to figure a means to prevent serious injury if he did jump.

Perhaps he's one of the knob sockets standing by and shouting "Jump"

Thread not going well is it, deservedly so.


Gin Man

35 posts

89 months

Wednesday 15th August 2018
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What I can't understand is that whilst a carriageway is being closed for "investigation work" why can't the other carriageway be used for two way traffic?
Most dual carriageway/motorways could soon be adjusted by using a few cones and perhaps a helpfull policeman to direct traffic, we are used to the traffic coming the other way!! Too easy?

henrycrun

2,464 posts

247 months

Wednesday 15th August 2018
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If we had 'Presumed Liability' it could make fatal crash surveys quicker.