Fatal Accident: How long should road remain closed?
Discussion
edthefed said:
OP - How long would you want the road closing if it was one of your family who had been killed ?
Would the amount of time matter? You'd just want a thorough investigation around the circumstances for them to able to find out what happened and who or what was responsible. It takes as long as it takes whether a family member or not.
I spent time at Gatwick.
In the event of an incident, once any injured are delt with and risks eliminated, there are two pressing factors that determine how long before normal service is resumed: 1/ gathering the evidence that can only be obtained before resumption of normal conditions, and 2/ cost. The airport pays so is concerned with regards knock-on costs.
I've been involved in road accidents. No great emphasis appears to be awarded on either of the criteria above.
In the event of an incident, once any injured are delt with and risks eliminated, there are two pressing factors that determine how long before normal service is resumed: 1/ gathering the evidence that can only be obtained before resumption of normal conditions, and 2/ cost. The airport pays so is concerned with regards knock-on costs.
I've been involved in road accidents. No great emphasis appears to be awarded on either of the criteria above.
Recently I tend to think that I wouldn't want a quick assumption of accident or road rage meaning too little time was spent on another A46 type case.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
NWTony said:
DirktheDaring said:
As long as it takes to do whatever is needed, being made late for a meeting or getting home in time for tea is insignificant and insensitive.
Sorry to pick on you, other people made the same point, but you must have a limit? Road shut for 12 hours, 24? how about shut for a week, maybe a month? At what point does it stop being insignificant and insensitive?I don't see how there can be a set time that they must finish by.
Kegworth air crash would have been days or weeks (I don't remember how long it was).
I was stationary for 6 hours on the M4 between Membury and Chievely last month due to a a potentially fatal single vehicle collision on the M4 last month.
As it was dark we could see floodlights and a drone while they did their investigation. The SUV involved didn't have a straight panel on it and had gone across all 3 lanes, so they needed to locate where all the debris was before they could reopen the road as it would get disturbed, and there was extensive Armco damage.
We finally got let through but the road remained closed for many hours after we had got off it.
Press reports the next day said the driver was in an ICU so it could have been worse. Just had to be philosophical about it - he'd had a much worse day than me!
As it was dark we could see floodlights and a drone while they did their investigation. The SUV involved didn't have a straight panel on it and had gone across all 3 lanes, so they needed to locate where all the debris was before they could reopen the road as it would get disturbed, and there was extensive Armco damage.
We finally got let through but the road remained closed for many hours after we had got off it.
Press reports the next day said the driver was in an ICU so it could have been worse. Just had to be philosophical about it - he'd had a much worse day than me!
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstration of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
Edited by kestral on Wednesday 22 November 11:16
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
Oceanrower said:
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
in 2021 I was caught between juct. 2-3 (I think) on the M5 southbound for about 7-8 hours after a very heavy RTC. Yeah it was frustrating, and I was a bit miffed off (mainly because you have no idea what happened at the time, only found out it was a fatal RTC later), but ultimately understanding, every case is unique, a heavy RTC could have a couple of hours depending of circumstances, or over 10.
What was a bit crazy though, is since it got into night time before we moved again, about 11pm, and it had been raining, there was a colossal amount of surface water on the motorway ahead seeing as nothing had been moving on it to help disperse water. I was kind of near the front of the queue, and those conditions were probably the worst I have ever driven in. Headlights were almost useless as the light didn't get past any of the spray being kicked up, and lots of people speeding to make up for lost time, it was very very hard to see anyone coming in your mirrors, or ahead of you.
What was a bit crazy though, is since it got into night time before we moved again, about 11pm, and it had been raining, there was a colossal amount of surface water on the motorway ahead seeing as nothing had been moving on it to help disperse water. I was kind of near the front of the queue, and those conditions were probably the worst I have ever driven in. Headlights were almost useless as the light didn't get past any of the spray being kicked up, and lots of people speeding to make up for lost time, it was very very hard to see anyone coming in your mirrors, or ahead of you.
Edited by satfinal on Wednesday 22 November 08:08
Sebring440 said:
Oceanrower said:
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
I witnessed and was first to pull up alongside a fatal accident on the M4 back in about 2009.
Very strange one too, I was in lane one doing 65ish and I remember it distinctly. A MK3 maroon Golf in the middle lane seemed to randomly lock up, and veer off the road into a ditch. No other car involved, no car ahead that I saw either.
Family of four, two daughters (one driving), dad up front and mum/daughter in the rear. Stupidly neither rear passenger had a seat belt on and the 23 year old in the back was killed. Driver was completely unharmed.
The speed at which the emergency services arrived was incredible, and the way the whole situation was handled was genuinely impressive. They closed the whole of the M4. This was probably simple by comparison but still a couple of hours at least, the car was being loaded up with a tarp over the top of it as we were being sent on our way.
Seems how long a road can be shut for is as long as a piece of string.
Very strange one too, I was in lane one doing 65ish and I remember it distinctly. A MK3 maroon Golf in the middle lane seemed to randomly lock up, and veer off the road into a ditch. No other car involved, no car ahead that I saw either.
Family of four, two daughters (one driving), dad up front and mum/daughter in the rear. Stupidly neither rear passenger had a seat belt on and the 23 year old in the back was killed. Driver was completely unharmed.
The speed at which the emergency services arrived was incredible, and the way the whole situation was handled was genuinely impressive. They closed the whole of the M4. This was probably simple by comparison but still a couple of hours at least, the car was being loaded up with a tarp over the top of it as we were being sent on our way.
Seems how long a road can be shut for is as long as a piece of string.
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
I get that life goes on and there is a need to get the road back open ASAP but I really dont think the Police drag their heels, they have one chance to gather evidence from the scene and a process to go through, the minute it is opened thats it, will never be as it was.
You can moan about it all you like but it wont make an iota of difference so maybe just not sound like a petulant, uncaring knob and keep it to yourself ?
Maybe ask to join them on a fatal accident, see a mangled body in a car, drink in the sights and smells, go through the process, maybe even get involved in extricating a dead body from crushed car, maybe intact, maybe in pieces. I have never been but having worked in the Police I spoke with a lot of coppers and the stuff some had seen, when recounted would have a 20 plus year experienced big tough copper welling up as they spoke about it.
I guess better communication, however it could be done would help those stuck behind the closure for many hours, as above?
Does anyone communicate what's going, or is it Chinese Whispers down the line of cars as to what has happened while they wait? Even a Traffic Car going down the hard shoulder with info on the rear display panel would help.
Do they generally turn cars around and get people off at the previous junction? I've not been caught in one but I imagine the frustation at the lack of information while stuck on a motorway for hours on end is huge.
Does anyone communicate what's going, or is it Chinese Whispers down the line of cars as to what has happened while they wait? Even a Traffic Car going down the hard shoulder with info on the rear display panel would help.
Do they generally turn cars around and get people off at the previous junction? I've not been caught in one but I imagine the frustation at the lack of information while stuck on a motorway for hours on end is huge.
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
Oceanrower said:
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
Short Grain said:
Oceanrower said:
kestral said:
fatjon said:
1 hr maximum, take pictures, measure stuff, clean up.
Hear, hear.But instead we get some sort of demonstartion of collective sorrow foisted upon us as a matter course, like it or not.
"My god a person has died"! and in a road traffic accident!
Cobblers get the traffic moving ASAP the living want to live.
But I didn’t want a ban…
FYI I've just reported the thread in the following terms,
"I started this thread to get a question answered. I got the information I wanted and now it has/is descending into personal jibes.
Can you just close or delete the thread please?"
Hopefully the mods will oblige but in any event can we keep it civil.
"I started this thread to get a question answered. I got the information I wanted and now it has/is descending into personal jibes.
Can you just close or delete the thread please?"
Hopefully the mods will oblige but in any event can we keep it civil.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff