Helicopter on A40 for collision within average speed cameras

[Dave Finney]

The A40 was closed West-bound today following a collision. The air ambulance was brought in and landed on the A40 near the Polish memorial. Witnesses suggested there might have been someone receiving medical attention but, not being able to see a motorbike, have thought that one possibility is that a pedestrian was trying to cross the A40.

Some colleagues have said that, in decades travelling the A40, they have never known the A40 closed due to a collision, others have said they've experienced closure due to a collision once before. No-one has heard of the air ambulance landing on the A40 before.

This potentially major incident has occurred within a month of the new average speed cameras going live on 26th October 2015. Did the speed cameras contribute to this incident? The problem is that we may never know because TfL (Transport for London) did not run their new average speed cameras within scientific trials.

Let's hope everyone involved in the collision survives and recovers.

[TheEnd]

SPEED CAMERA FORCES HELICOPTER TO LAND

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Wow!

All we know is that there has been an accident on the A40, and you've jumped to asking if the newly installed av. speed cameras are to blame. Just wow.

And by the way, I live in W London close to the A40 and over the years it's been shut numerous times following bad accidents.

[Pete317]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Wow!

All we know is that there has been an accident on the A40, and you've jumped to asking if the newly installed av. speed cameras are to blame. Just wow.

And by the way, I live in W London close to the A40 and over the years it's been shut numerous times following bad accidents.

Well.if they want to stop that sort of speculation, it would help if they didn't seem to be so averse to the proper recording and/or usage of data

ETA: And it would also help if they stopped making unsupportable claims about the effectiveness of speed cameras.

Edited by Pete317 on Wednesday 25th November 17:18

[Durzel]

The camera never entered Turkish airspace.

[Dave Finney]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Wow!

All we know is that there has been an accident on the A40, and you've jumped to asking if the newly installed av. speed cameras are to blame. Just wow.

And by the way, I live in W London close to the A40 and over the years it's been shut numerous times following bad accidents.

Well of course. If the authorities had done their job properly in the first place then others would not need to investigate. We know that fatal and serious collisions increased following the deployment of mobile speed cameras in Thames Valley. We also know that fatal and serious collisions increased following the installation of fixed speed cameras in Thames Valley. It may well be that average speed cameras also result in increases in fatal and serious collisions but, since none have been installed within scientific trials, how will we know? If TfL are attempting to deceive people with their current speed cameras, why would they suddenly start being honest with their new average speed cameras?

We here have known the A40 to be shut due to works, and to have delays due to lane closures following collisions, but we've very rarely, if ever, known the A40 to be completely shut due to a collision. Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?

[CGJJ]

I drove into London on the A40 this morning at 3am because the M25 was closed otherwise I would
have been on the M4.

What I can tell you is that with 50 then 40 set on my cruise control it was very very safe and very very boring.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Dave Finney said:

Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?

Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed. It was shut about 2 yrs ago when a cyclist was killed, again on the stretch by Northolt Airport. It was shut a few months back between Loudwater and High Wycombe due to a vehicle fire. I work in Bucks and live in London. I use it, against the flow, every day. It's been completely shut many times over the years, and I've had to divert.

[Dave Finney]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Dave Finney said:

Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?

Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed. It was shut about 2 yrs ago when a cyclist was killed, again on the stretch by Northolt Airport. It was shut a few months back between Loudwater and High Wycombe due to a vehicle fire. I work in Bucks and live in London. I use it, against the flow, every day. It's been completely shut many times over the years, and I've had to divert.

GOOD NEWS "injuries are not thought to be life-threatning"
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-ne...

Thanks TWK but I was thinking of examples where the A40 was completely closed due to a collision within what is now the average speed camera system, all your examples are outside the average speed camera system and none of them near where you live. So have you also never experienced the A40 was completely closed due to a collision from the Polish to the end of the raised section?

[TooMany2cvs]

I'm actually quite intrigued as to how 50mph average speed cameras on a dual carriageway can cause a collision bad enough to need an air ambulance. Perhaps somebody could explain...?

[Trax]

TooMany2cvs said:

I'm actually quite intrigued as to how 50mph average speed cameras on a dual carriageway can cause a collision bad enough to need an air ambulance. Perhaps somebody could explain...?

In the same way that people are intrigued when the cameras are alleged (usually by persons whose wages rely on them) to have prevented accidents, which may or may not have required an air ambulance.

[pork911]

Pete317 said:

Well.if they want to stop that sort of speculation,

idiots will speculate regardless

[Dave Finney]

TooMany2cvs said:

I'm actually quite intrigued as to how 50mph average speed cameras on a dual carriageway can cause a collision bad enough to need an air ambulance. Perhaps somebody could explain...?

You are joking, aren't you? Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including sudden braking, bunching, distraction, tiredness, and that's not even considering the reduction in Traffic Police to pay for them.

[Sportidge]

Dave Finney said:

Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including.... tiredness

Speed cameras causing tiredness?

That's a new on on me.....

[Dave Finney]

pork911 said:

Pete317 said:

Well.if they want to stop that sort of speculation,

idiots will speculate regardless

While others will look for evidence.

[Pete317]

pork911 said:

Pete317 said:

Well.if they want to stop that sort of speculation,

idiots will speculate regardless

Of course, but I wasn't thinking about the idiots

[Pete317]

Dave Finney said:

pork911 said:

Pete317 said:

Well.if they want to stop that sort of speculation,

idiots will speculate regardless

While others will look for evidence.

I think it's more a case of people's observations being at odds with what they've been led to expect.

Edited by Pete317 on Wednesday 25th November 22:22

[TooMany2cvs]

Dave Finney said:

TooMany2cvs said:

I'm actually quite intrigued as to how 50mph average speed cameras on a dual carriageway can cause a collision bad enough to need an air ambulance. Perhaps somebody could explain...?

You are joking, aren't you? Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including sudden braking, bunching, distraction, tiredness, and that's not even considering the reduction in Traffic Police to pay for them.

<chuckle> You are funny...

[Pete317]

TooMany2cvs said:

I'm actually quite intrigued as to how 50mph average speed cameras on a dual carriageway can cause a collision bad enough to need an air ambulance. Perhaps somebody could explain...?

Well, they evidently did little to prevent it from happening.

[Drumroll]

All roads are completely closed whenever the air ambulance lands. Not that they "need" it to be, but because people on the opposite carriageway would/are likely to be distracted by it landing/taking off.

So there may have been several fatal accidents on that stretch, but you don't need an air ambulance for a dead person. Also remember there are other reasons an air ambulance may not attend a serious accident.