Just saw the most frightening thing
Discussion
About 7.40pm - was on the A12 northbound (dual carriageway for those not familiar) having joined from the M25. I was in the outer lane. I was therefore rather surprised to see a car also travelling northbound at, I guess, about 60mph - but to my right. Yes, the other side of the crash barrier on the southbound carriageway - in the overtaking lane (pedants will tell me off if I call it the fast lane). With cars swerving out of the way. It was not a contraflow. Called the police as quickly as I could dial 999 on the satnav. Operator didn't seem to realise initially that northbound doesn't mean towards London, but she seemed to get it in the end and said that she thought someone else had just reported it as well, saying it was reportedly an elderly driver. About 20 miles further north later I see the blue lights hurtling the other way at speed.
I fear it was too late though, for upon reaching my destination at just after 8pm I check the satnav for the opposite journey and at first it shows nothing, but a few minutes later it shows the A12 closed, southbound before the M25 and a call to trafficline 1200 thingy says the A12 is closed due to an accident.
It does leave me wondering what else I could have done, not much really other than flash the headlights, but mostly I just hope no-one's dead. Congrats to those drivers on the ball enough to realise that the headlights coming towards them were on the same side of the road!
I know this happens now and then but it's very odd when you see it yourself.
I fear it was too late though, for upon reaching my destination at just after 8pm I check the satnav for the opposite journey and at first it shows nothing, but a few minutes later it shows the A12 closed, southbound before the M25 and a call to trafficline 1200 thingy says the A12 is closed due to an accident.
It does leave me wondering what else I could have done, not much really other than flash the headlights, but mostly I just hope no-one's dead. Congrats to those drivers on the ball enough to realise that the headlights coming towards them were on the same side of the road!
I know this happens now and then but it's very odd when you see it yourself.
It's very sobering.
I had a not disimilar experience a few years ago on the M6 near Charnock Richrd only I was actually on a direct collision course travelling at a fairly keen rate.
The only thing that saved us was the fact that my infant son hadn't fallen asleep, (Travelling to Scotland from Bucks), and thought it prudent to fill up rather than risk waking him up later once he had nodded off.
We pulled into the service station and once I'd parked and opened the car door, (say 30 seconds after exiting the motorway), heard the sirens of the Police cars heading southbound.
He hit a family about half a mile or so down the road and wiped himself out. Apparently he'd had an argument with his girlfriend. Thankfully other than being well beaten up the family survived intact.
The M6 was shut for 8 hours or so. It was a very eerie feeling being the only car on the road travelling North knowing what was behind us and how close we'd come to hitting the muppet head on.
Still sends shivers down my spine when I think of it.
There be by the grace of God and all that!!
I had a not disimilar experience a few years ago on the M6 near Charnock Richrd only I was actually on a direct collision course travelling at a fairly keen rate.
The only thing that saved us was the fact that my infant son hadn't fallen asleep, (Travelling to Scotland from Bucks), and thought it prudent to fill up rather than risk waking him up later once he had nodded off.
We pulled into the service station and once I'd parked and opened the car door, (say 30 seconds after exiting the motorway), heard the sirens of the Police cars heading southbound.
He hit a family about half a mile or so down the road and wiped himself out. Apparently he'd had an argument with his girlfriend. Thankfully other than being well beaten up the family survived intact.
The M6 was shut for 8 hours or so. It was a very eerie feeling being the only car on the road travelling North knowing what was behind us and how close we'd come to hitting the muppet head on.
Still sends shivers down my spine when I think of it.
There be by the grace of God and all that!!
I had that happen to me 2 weeks into my driving experience. It was on the A27, going from Chichester to Portsmouth, and in the lead of 3 cars overtaking 3 other cars.
I saw a vehicle in the distance coming towards me, but I didn't really think anything of it until I noticed that there was no crash barrier between him and me. I pulled in behind the car I was mid-overtaking and missed him; the car behind me wasn't so lucky.
I've no idea really what happened to anyone else, but I did hear that the driver of the van (as it turned out to be) refused to give a breath test at the accident.
I saw a vehicle in the distance coming towards me, but I didn't really think anything of it until I noticed that there was no crash barrier between him and me. I pulled in behind the car I was mid-overtaking and missed him; the car behind me wasn't so lucky.
I've no idea really what happened to anyone else, but I did hear that the driver of the van (as it turned out to be) refused to give a breath test at the accident.
It's worrying just how often this seems to happen. Just a few weeks ago my Dad was driving up the A1 in Lincolnshire (dual carriageway), overtaking a car, when he realised the oncoming headlights were in his lane with a closing speed of >160. I wasn't with him but speaking on the phone he was certainly shaken up by it.
I just hope in this case nobody has been hurt or worse.
I just hope in this case nobody has been hurt or worse.
Edited by theboss on Tuesday 23 December 23:32
I once had a head-on collision with a vehicle going the wrong way down the motorway. Apparently the drunk driver had travelled 8 traffic-free miles in the wrong direction before meeting me. Just before impact when I realised the headlights were on my side of the carriageway and in my lane I remember thinking in sequence that this must be what its like to die, how my legs were going to be crushed and thank god this isn't my fault! Passing the spot still gives me goosebumps.
Its quite scary how many times this must happen, on the A1 just south of cambridge (southbound) about 2 months ago whilst on the phone to John Lewis I see the woman infront of me swerve out of the fast lane, wondering why she has swerved out out the fast lane ( in a mili second) I see a merc s class heading towards me in my lane at a closing speed of circa 160.
I chucked the wheel left and held on, didnt look in mirror or what was in the inside lane or middle lane. ended up broadsided half on the hard shoulder half in lane one before I really realised what was going on quick bit of opposite lock ( combined with 4wd and ABS) and I was still headed down the A1 the right way albeit a bit sweatier !!!
Looked in rear view mirror an all I could see was white light, I imagine headlights or reversing lights.
The weird thing was that on the rest of the journey home I expected A1 closed etc etc but nothing, I hope that somehow the guy or girl missed everyone.
Very very scary
I chucked the wheel left and held on, didnt look in mirror or what was in the inside lane or middle lane. ended up broadsided half on the hard shoulder half in lane one before I really realised what was going on quick bit of opposite lock ( combined with 4wd and ABS) and I was still headed down the A1 the right way albeit a bit sweatier !!!
Looked in rear view mirror an all I could see was white light, I imagine headlights or reversing lights.
The weird thing was that on the rest of the journey home I expected A1 closed etc etc but nothing, I hope that somehow the guy or girl missed everyone.
Very very scary
Symbolica said:
Other Driver: You're going the wrong way!
Neal: He says we're going the wrong way...
Del: Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?
I was thinking the same thing....Neal: He says we're going the wrong way...
Del: Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?
Also that has got to be s
t scary, even just seeing it.When we were in France I was wary of driving on the correct side all the time but on one occasion we were on an empty motorway and the central reservation was blocked by tree/bushes so you couldn't see the other carriageway, at one point I look over to my right and see a car the other side of a hedge travelling in the same direction at the same speed. Absolutely soiled myself for about 10 seconds thinking I was on the wrong side, then realised that it was another road running adjacent right along side the M'way.
My mum, brother and I went on holiday to Florida when I was about 13. We hired a car and after filling up at a gas station my mum pulled onto the freeway in the wrong direction. Scary moment indeed! Fortunately she realised almost instantly and turned around. I do think the three of us had a permanent look of suprise for about 6 hours after it though lol.
Am I the only person who gets a slight bit of panic merging onto a motorway you're unfamiliar with? Like if there are no other cars around I worry I'm on the wrong side!
Am I the only person who gets a slight bit of panic merging onto a motorway you're unfamiliar with? Like if there are no other cars around I worry I'm on the wrong side!
catmartin said:
My mum, brother and I went on holiday to Florida when I was about 13. We hired a car and after filling up at a gas station my mum pulled onto the freeway in the wrong direction. Scary moment indeed! Fortunately she realised almost instantly and turned around. I do think the three of us had a permanent look of suprise for about 6 hours after it though lol.
Am I the only person who gets a slight bit of panic merging onto a motorway you're unfamiliar with? Like if there are no other cars around I worry I'm on the wrong side!
The day i am unsure if i am joining a motorway on the correct side is the day i stop driving.Am I the only person who gets a slight bit of panic merging onto a motorway you're unfamiliar with? Like if there are no other cars around I worry I'm on the wrong side!
Came accross a car (piloted by an old guy) going the wrong way up the A30 eastbound in the outside lane. Luckily we were going down a hill and there was a row of hedges seperating the two carraigeways so it was obvious something was up. Watched him take the blind brow of the hill in the rear view mirror and thankfully he or nobody else came flying right back over. Lucky, if we had been 40 secs later we'd have hit him on the brow.
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