Lunacy on the M40

[adam.]

beko1987 said:

I drove to work from the Thame junction today due to traffic, and you can see the new armco in place. Very sad.

What with this, the accident at Warwick and I'm sure there was another one too, I hope these aren't all being totted up ready for a smart motorway proposal...

Unless that' what's needed, but I'm not a fan of smart motorways in general...

I drove from J2 to J10 on Friday morning and there was the eeriest densest darkest fog I've ever seen, right at the crash site, it was as if it was epicentred there. Very strange!

[Solocle]

Vipers said:

What is the connection between this incident and "So called smart motorway", what am I missing?

Using the hard shoulder as a live running lane. Bloke thought he was pulling onto the hard shoulder, which was in use as a lane. To be fair, if somebody had a medical emergency, or a mechanical failure, the outcome of that would be exactly the same. There is a reason why having a hard shouder is a good idea.

[TooMany2cvs]

Vipers said:

What is the connection between this incident and "So called smart motorway", what am I missing?

The motorway was the smarter of the pair.

[saaby93]

Solocle said:

Vipers said:

What is the connection between this incident and "So called smart motorway", what am I missing?

Using the hard shoulder as a live running lane. Bloke thought he was pulling onto the hard shoulder, which was in use as a lane. To be fair, if somebody had a medical emergency, or a mechanical failure, the outcome of that would be exactly the same.

In which case isnt it pretty harsh if the guy is being charged with careless driving.
Or is it the guy that ran into him that's being charged?

[Solocle]

saaby93 said:

n which case isnt it pretty harsh if the guy is being charged with careless driving.
Or is it the guy that ran into him that's being charged?

I mean, if he cut in front of someone, and then slammed on the anchors, that would be careless driving. I also would think that stopping on the motorway could be considered careless, but it does bring up a question of cause. So I'd say an investigation is probably fair enough.

[saaby93]

Solocle said:

saaby93 said:

In which case isnt it pretty harsh if the guy is being charged with careless driving.
Or is it the guy that ran into him that's being charged?

I mean, if he cut in front of someone, and then slammed on the anchors, that would be careless driving. I also would think that stopping on the motorway could be considered careless, but it does bring up a question of cause. So I'd say an investigation is probably fair enough.

Maybe on these so called smart motorways anyone using lane 1 should expect there to be someone parked up from time to time for whatever reason
Come to think of it, maybe that applies to a stationary vehicle/ object in any lane on any type of motorway
and could apply to looking out for a wrongwayer too

[the tribester]

Labradorofperception said:

My old man is in his mid 70's. Always been an excellent driver - but he's accepted he's getting old and sold his Willerby Wobblebox. he's had a couple of bumps and scrapes in his car recently and we are keeping a close eye on him.

Edited by Labradorofperception on Friday 19th October 07:58

But are you?
You’re seeing him when he’s safely returned home, and you’re checking his car for new bumps and scrapes, each of which could have been an inattentive moment, or a near miss to a tragedy.

Take a ride out with him to the supermarket, get him to read a number plate 20 metres up the road. That’s keeping an eye on him, and us.

[Frank7]

the tribester said:

But are you?
You’re seeing him when he’s safely returned home, and you’re checking his car for new bumps and scrapes, each of which could have been an inattentive moment, or a near miss to a tragedy.

Take a ride out with him to the supermarket, get him to read a number plate 20 metres up the road. That’s keeping an eye on him, and us.

I did this with my youngest kid recently, I rarely drive nowadays, unless I have little option, as quite honestly, I’ve got the pox of it after years and years, I’m now 78.
My wife, (not his mother), had moaned to him, that I always claimed shotgun, and made her drive, “check him out Paul, he drives me nuts.”
He’s got a not very old BMW 3 series, insured for any driver, and he said, “Here dad, check this bad boy out.”
I drove it from Deptford, SE London to Enfield, and he said, “Dad, if I was testing you, I’d have failed you, you seemed to be always aware of what was around, and behind you, it was obvious that you had your eye on what was ahead of you, when to gun it and overtake, and when to use your loaf and wait, but although we were going through 20, 30, and 40 limits, I don’t think that you once went under 40 mph, unless you caught a red light.”
I said, “Thanks kid, tell your stepmother that I’m fu*king useless, and not to let me drive again, and I’ll always love you.”

[Frik]

I suspect he didn’t mean to use the motorway at all. He came down the A40 from oxford (or out the services) confused the roundabout on the services side of J8 with the southbound side roundabout and took the exit in roughly the same position for what he thought was the A40. There’s usually some queuing traffic on the off ramp there, but maybe for once there wasn’t anything which aided his confusion and down the ramp he went. Once he realised where he was it was all panic and trying to get off it ASAP, hence the fact he wasn’t exactly hanging about.

So a relatively simple mistake, compounded by circumstance and poor reaction to resolve it.

[Vipers]

Solocle said:

Vipers said:

What is the connection between this incident and "So called smart motorway", what am I missing?

Using the hard shoulder as a live running lane. Bloke thought he was pulling onto the hard shoulder, which was in use as a lane. To be fair, if somebody had a medical emergency, or a mechanical failure, the outcome of that would be exactly the same. There is a reason why having a hard shouder is a good idea.

Maybe the way the article was written gave me a different impression when it said -

The tweet also revealed the "tired" driver of the Ford Mondeo had "mistook" lane one to be the hard shoulder

Tks.

[TTmonkey]

saaby93 said:

4x4Tyke said:

On the st driving caught on camera thread, that's a mouthful (maybe SDCOCs henceforth), there is a video with loads of cars driving through red X with a stationary (broken down) car in lane 3. So to be effective we'd need camera enforcement of red Xs as well.

Unfortunately too many times, overhead gantry signs cry wolf so hardly anyone believes them until they find out what theyre on about.
If the red X is being taken to mean, carriageway may be closed up ahead ( or maybe it isnt) and everyone deals with whatever it means properly, is there a problem?
.

Had an argument with the Highways Agency a few weeks ago. Signs on the M4 were saying lanes 2&3 closed eastbound from chievly, 40mph restriction to other lane. but they weren't. Signs were repeated several times, then nothing, not cancellation and re-instating of speed limit, just nothing. No dialogue signs saying why they were closed (like accident ahead or something on the carriagway)

Called the HA, informed them the signs were misleading drivers and causing cars to take action that wasn't required.... guy wouldn't accept tis, said they would remain in force until one of the agency vehicles had driven the route and checked in.

I pointed out that incorrect warning are counter productive and lead to lack of trust of the system and could in this case have actually caused an issue when there was no need. Wouldn't have it. no thanks either for calling them and letting them know.

You'd have thought that a quick check of cameras would have been all that was required.

[S100HP]

Conversely I used the M3 on Monday night and it worked perfectly. 70mph, down to 50mph then down to 40mph. Left hand lane showing big red X, people moved over and slowed down. Passed stricken car on left hand lane. Afterwards back up to speed.

[Labradorofperception]

the tribester said:

But are you?
You’re seeing him when he’s safely returned home, and you’re checking his car for new bumps and scrapes, each of which could have been an inattentive moment, or a near miss to a tragedy.

Take a ride out with him to the supermarket, get him to read a number plate 20 metres up the road. That’s keeping an eye on him, and us.

You'e reading a lot into, and making several erroneous assumptions about, an internet stranger's post, but thanks for your concern.

[Puggit]

Source: Court official local to incident.

The previous incident the police attended with the same vehicle was also driving the wrong way on a motorway.

[rallycross]

Puggit said:

Source: Court official local to incident.

The previous incident the police attended with the same vehicle was also driving the wrong way on a motorway.

Really? If true then shocking (if you are trolling then equally shocking to make that up).

[poo at Paul's]

rallycross said:

Puggit said:

Source: Court official local to incident.

The previous incident the police attended with the same vehicle was also driving the wrong way on a motorway.

Really? If true then shocking (if you are trolling then equally shocking to make that up).

Was reported in press as a damage only accident in High Wycombe.

[bobtail4x4]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-460711...

and another one on the A1

[TTmonkey]

New method of committing suicide....?

[bobtail4x4]

I wonder

[Solocle]

TTmonkey said:

New method of committing suicide....?

suicidemurder