Arghhhhh whats with police shutting roads after accidents ?
Discussion
Every time i venture out onto our lovely road network I seem to get caught up in Police induced, post accident, congestion. First time they coned off a lane of the A1M while, the motor cyclist, motor bike, car and driver were all on the grass verge, talking. the only thing blocking the road was the damn police car and cones. 1.5 hrs. Yesterday they SHUT the damn M1, FFS, at rush hour!!! what were all 3 lanes + shoulder blocked? i know sensitivities to injured dead etc... but it needs some perspective. 4000 people delayed 4+ hours fuc4ing crazy!!!
fbrs said:
Every time i venture out onto our lovely road network I seem to get caught up in Police induced, post accident, congestion. First time they coned off a lane of the A1M while, the motor cyclist, motor bike, car and driver were all on the grass verge, talking. the only thing blocking the road was the damn police car and cones. 1.5 hrs. Yesterday they SHUT the damn M1, FFS, at rush hour!!! what were all 3 lanes + shoulder blocked? i know sensitivities to injured dead etc... but it needs some perspective. 4000 people delayed 4+ hours fuc4ing crazy!!!
If it's been a "nasty" they view the road as a crime scene and preserve? it for the forensics I think.
fbrs said:
Every time i venture out onto our lovely road network I seem to get caught up in Police induced, post accident, congestion. First time they coned off a lane of the A1M while, the motor cyclist, motor bike, car and driver were all on the grass verge, talking. the only thing blocking the road was the damn police car and cones. 1.5 hrs. Yesterday they SHUT the damn M1, FFS, at rush hour!!! what were all 3 lanes + shoulder blocked? i know sensitivities to injured dead etc... but it needs some perspective. 4000 people delayed 4+ hours fuc4ing crazy!!!
Possibly so car dont come past at 70 mph within a few feet of people and cars on the hard shoulder, all rubbernecking at the crash. A recipe for disaster that.
As a side note, I heard recently that after a fatal motorbike crash on the M25, the police had to not only close the clockwise carriageway at junction 29, but they had to put up a barrier to prevent people rubbernecking from the opposite carriageway and eventually had to confiscate mobile phones after they spotted passersby taking photos of the accident scene with them. There are some sick people out there. Who the hell wants a picture of a dead motorcyclist on their mobile phone?
Couple of weekends ago there was a nasty collision on the A505 on the Melbourn bypass. 2 were killed but, the police blocked the road off between the M11 and Royston for a whole day. We're talking about 8 miles of road here people, total overkill.
Edited by apache on Thursday 19th April 13:44
I don't think it's done lightly. The Police are well aware of the problems with congestion as any extra accidents it causes usually give them extra work.
But if it was me that had been splattered all over the carriageway, I think my ghost would want the Police to make every effort, and have every opportunity, to gather the evidence to convict the numpty that sideswiped me etc.
Or have you a better way?
But if it was me that had been splattered all over the carriageway, I think my ghost would want the Police to make every effort, and have every opportunity, to gather the evidence to convict the numpty that sideswiped me etc.
Or have you a better way?
silversun said:
Who the hell wants a picture of a dead motorcyclist on their mobile phone?
Someone who wants to show their teenagers what can happen if they're not careful?
I don't know. It probably is as you say, but don't the police show books of pics to dangerous drivers to ram home the potential effects?
Vesuvius 996 said:
B0llocks.
They do it to make car use less attractive.
You're absolutely correct. For a number of years, there has been a hidden Police agenda to make motoring less attractive. Closing the road after a serious accident has absolutely nothing to do with preserving the scene for evidence, making a safe sterile area in which other emergency services and recovery operators can work safely, checking that the road surface and any under/over bridge structures are safe and preventing any other accidents from occurring.
No - they're closed for the simple single purpose of pissing people off.
I don't know about anyone else, but that's all I joined the Police for.
esselte said:
If it's been a "nasty" they view the road as a crime scene and preserve? it for the forensics I think.
i appreciate the "need"/wish to do that. but at what cost? did they really need the WHOLE M1 routed through milton keynes during rush hour? utter madness. 5 mile stationary tailback = approx 4000 people, 4hours late for work, at very least 200 trucks late delivery, drivers going over hours, missed delivery schedules, assembly lines shut down. meetings cancelled, contracts lost. thats just those on the M1. MK must have been at a complete standstill most of the day. i wonder if the guys shutting the roads have any idea how many £million they just cost the economy?
R_U_LOCAL said:
Vesuvius 996 said:
B0llocks.
They do it to make car use less attractive.
You're absolutely correct. For a number of years, there has been a hidden Police agenda to make motoring less attractive. Closing the road after a serious accident has absolutely nothing to do with preserving the scene for evidence, making a safe sterile area in which other emergency services and recovery operators can work safely, checking that the road surface and any under/over bridge structures are safe and preventing any other accidents from occurring.
No - they're closed for the simple single purpose of pissing people off.
I don't know about anyone else, but that's all I joined the Police for.
Ah ha you are a traffic warden
silversun said:
As a side note, I heard recently that after a fatal motorbike crash on the M25, the police had to not only close the clockwise carriageway at junction 29, but they had to put up a barrier to prevent people rubbernecking from the opposite carriageway and eventually had to confiscate mobile phones after they spotted passersby taking photos of the accident scene with them. There are some sick people out there. Who the hell wants a picture of a dead motorcyclist on their mobile phone?
Such screens should be standard practice at every incident (once the vital life saving stuff is done first!). It would stop rubbernecking instantly and improve the post-traffic flow. Either that or a second plod car should turn up with a video camera and a week later send out prosecutions for not driving with due care and attention to anyone who's head did a full circle on their neck while applying the brakes.
I'm all for slowing down a little because there is people working at the roadside - akin to roadworks - but stopping dead in the middle of the road to have a good gawp is one of the most annoying things you can experience.
cj_eds said:
Such screens should be standard practice at every incident (once the vital life saving stuff is done first!). It would stop rubbernecking instantly and improve the post-traffic flow. Either that or a second plod car should turn up with a video camera and a week later send out prosecutions for not driving with due care and attention to anyone who's head did a full circle on their neck while applying the brakes.
I'm all for slowing down a little because there is people working at the roadside - akin to roadworks - but stopping dead in the middle of the road to have a good gawp is one of the most annoying things you can experience.
I'm all for slowing down a little because there is people working at the roadside - akin to roadworks - but stopping dead in the middle of the road to have a good gawp is one of the most annoying things you can experience.
Totally agree. It infuriates me when some cockfarmer in front of me slows to a near halt just so he can get a better look at a couple of ambulances and police cars.
R_U_LOCAL said:
Vesuvius 996 said:
B0llocks.
They do it to make car use less attractive.
You're absolutely correct. For a number of years, there has been a hidden Police agenda to make motoring less attractive. Closing the road after a serious accident has absolutely nothing to do with preserving the scene for evidence, making a safe sterile area in which other emergency services and recovery operators can work safely, checking that the road surface and any under/over bridge structures are safe and preventing any other accidents from occurring.
No - they're closed for the simple single purpose of pissing people off.
I don't know about anyone else, but that's all I joined the Police for.
Edited by john57 on Thursday 19th April 13:47
Idea!
Why not have small vanes , set at an angle ( a bit like a vertical venetian blind but fixed,not moveable)), attached to the top of the central armco at maybe 1' centres.this would stop any rubbernecking from the opposite carriageway and also cut down headlamp glare on rainy nights? Rubbish Idea I suppose.It'll cost too much.
Why not have small vanes , set at an angle ( a bit like a vertical venetian blind but fixed,not moveable)), attached to the top of the central armco at maybe 1' centres.this would stop any rubbernecking from the opposite carriageway and also cut down headlamp glare on rainy nights? Rubbish Idea I suppose.It'll cost too much.
Edited by esselte on Thursday 19th April 13:50
Whilst out for a walk over the moors near the cat and fiddle road (Buxton to Macc) my girlfriend and I saw the after affects of a coming together of car and bike. There were a large number of police cars present and eveyone appeared to be doing a very professional job of trying to get everything done that needed to be done as quickly as possible. Even so the road was closed for a number of hours, but I guess the family of the biker under the sheet will at least know the full circumstances of their death.
Then again you're quite right, making you late for a meeting is far more serious than something as petty as a death or serious injury
Then again you're quite right, making you late for a meeting is far more serious than something as petty as a death or serious injury
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