Sad indictment of driving standards in the UK.
Discussion
Heading to slough this morning on the m3 came across an astra estate that had taken out the central reservation in a fairly spectacular fashion. Took out the metal barrier supports shearing them from the concrete and from the barrier leaving them along with other bits of debris in the inside "fast" lane and middle lane.
What shocked me most however was having stopped to check the driver was OK and finding him to be so he got his car to the hard shoulder i turned to look at the damage and wreckage on the motorway and noticed everyone simply running straight over the barrier supports etc flinging them (pretty large chunks of metal)and the other debris up in the air and only as they ran over it were they braking and swerving.
I attempted to get people to slow down and it took ages for people to notice me and react.
It is truly tragic that people just cannot see beyond the end of their bonnets and I was genuinely expecting to see either a piece of barrier go through a following cars windscreen or one of the idiots having a blowout or something at 80-90mph. Incredibly loads of people would also notice at the very last second and swerve heavily to avoid debris.
I am simply left even more depressed at the colossal idiots I sadly have to share the roads with. There were very few people who reacted anything near soon enough and largely the best reactions were from the hgv drivers as usual.
What shocked me most however was having stopped to check the driver was OK and finding him to be so he got his car to the hard shoulder i turned to look at the damage and wreckage on the motorway and noticed everyone simply running straight over the barrier supports etc flinging them (pretty large chunks of metal)and the other debris up in the air and only as they ran over it were they braking and swerving.
I attempted to get people to slow down and it took ages for people to notice me and react.
It is truly tragic that people just cannot see beyond the end of their bonnets and I was genuinely expecting to see either a piece of barrier go through a following cars windscreen or one of the idiots having a blowout or something at 80-90mph. Incredibly loads of people would also notice at the very last second and swerve heavily to avoid debris.
I am simply left even more depressed at the colossal idiots I sadly have to share the roads with. There were very few people who reacted anything near soon enough and largely the best reactions were from the hgv drivers as usual.
It's nothing to do with driving standards, it's because people are just morons altogether. I work in retail, and I am absolutely bewildered by how thick and moronic the public are. It's unfortunate to think that this will inevitably be carried over to when they get in a car.
Take just today, a large stack of boxes of biscuits collapsed all over the place . Themorons customers were all simply walking around them and stepping over them, not a single one of them made an attempt to pick them up or assist the member of staff who eventually picked them up.
Take just today, a large stack of boxes of biscuits collapsed all over the place . The
ging84 said:
i don't think that sounds like a sad indictment
sounds to me like they should be getting credit for not panicking and swerving all over the place and causing further accidents when faced with large debris on the road
So you think that driving over the debris at speed is worthy of credit? Most of us would have dropped our speed and driven around it.sounds to me like they should be getting credit for not panicking and swerving all over the place and causing further accidents when faced with large debris on the road
This sadly reminds me of when I was driving my family on a busy motorway with my sister Inlaw behind us in her car, also with her family in. We were in the centre lane when all of a sudden an exhaust box rolled in to our lane, Luckely it rolled between my wheels and I missed it but my Sister in-law run over it resulting in a rear blowout, I saw it happen and managed to tuck in behind her as she drove over to the hard shoulder, other drivers must have seen it happen and pulled right back. When we got to the hard shoulder I ran back about 50 yards to the emergency phone and told the operator what had happened and that I can change the wheel but the exhaust box is still on the running lanes and needs urgent attention.
Just as I said that I heard a screech the a very loud crash and I looked over to my left and saw a vehicle being T-boned by an artic and the vehicle then flying through the air coming to rest about 10 metres from me on the inside "first" lane, when I saw the impact between the car and artic I don't know why but I put my head in as far as I could into the phone box, I think it was the sound of the energy being absorbed by the car that made me do it, it was horrendous. Then I told the operator that it looks like a fatal and please get help as soon as possible and I was going to help the occupants, they informed me a unit was close by. Got to the car and found my fears were right, a mother and young baby died instantly and another daughter was very seriously injured. The driver was still alive but uncouncous as the car was lefthand drive and the impact was to the offside.
Thankfully the police arrived very quickly and took charge of the scene. I spoke to the driver of the artic and he said he could have either hit the car or swerved and hit us, he had very little options then to hit the car but still he was in a state of shock.
During the time the motorway was still open I was sickened to see passengers leaning out of their cars to take pictures.
At the inquest the police accident investigators said that the car had tried to avoid the exhaust and lost control, hit the concrete central divide, bounced back at right angles to the oncoming traffic and was hit square on by the artic. The daughter who survived has very serious life changing injuries.
So -
Daughter Inlaw does not try to avoid exhaust box and gets a bill for new wheel and tyre but lives.
Driver takes avoiding action loses control resulting in tragic multiple loss of life.
I recommend to all my family when travelling at speed that if an object (non human) is in the road in front of you and is smaller than the car they are driving do not try to aviod it just slow down as much as possible tighten grip on streering wheel and hit/run over the object, The results may be far worse if you try and take avoiding action, you can repair or even buy a new car you can not buy a new life.
Just as I said that I heard a screech the a very loud crash and I looked over to my left and saw a vehicle being T-boned by an artic and the vehicle then flying through the air coming to rest about 10 metres from me on the inside "first" lane, when I saw the impact between the car and artic I don't know why but I put my head in as far as I could into the phone box, I think it was the sound of the energy being absorbed by the car that made me do it, it was horrendous. Then I told the operator that it looks like a fatal and please get help as soon as possible and I was going to help the occupants, they informed me a unit was close by. Got to the car and found my fears were right, a mother and young baby died instantly and another daughter was very seriously injured. The driver was still alive but uncouncous as the car was lefthand drive and the impact was to the offside.
Thankfully the police arrived very quickly and took charge of the scene. I spoke to the driver of the artic and he said he could have either hit the car or swerved and hit us, he had very little options then to hit the car but still he was in a state of shock.
During the time the motorway was still open I was sickened to see passengers leaning out of their cars to take pictures.
At the inquest the police accident investigators said that the car had tried to avoid the exhaust and lost control, hit the concrete central divide, bounced back at right angles to the oncoming traffic and was hit square on by the artic. The daughter who survived has very serious life changing injuries.
So -
Daughter Inlaw does not try to avoid exhaust box and gets a bill for new wheel and tyre but lives.
Driver takes avoiding action loses control resulting in tragic multiple loss of life.
I recommend to all my family when travelling at speed that if an object (non human) is in the road in front of you and is smaller than the car they are driving do not try to aviod it just slow down as much as possible tighten grip on streering wheel and hit/run over the object, The results may be far worse if you try and take avoiding action, you can repair or even buy a new car you can not buy a new life.
Edited by 04helipilot on Thursday 7th March 02:00
I have deliberately hit debris on the carriageway of a fast motorway - not becasue I didn't see it, but because, there was nowhere for me to go to avoid it.
In my case I was in the outside lane of the M60 at 6am, and was between a long wheelbase transit, and the central reservation. There was a wooden pallet, admittedly dark painted, so didn't see it quite as quickly as I would have liked, but had 4 options:
1. Try and go between the pallet and central reservation at 60MPH, and risk spinning the car and getting clattered by the traffic behind me.
2. Try and get between the pallet and the Transit, and potentially hit the Transit and then get clattered by the traffic behind me
3. Slam on the brakes so I can avoid the pallet, and get clattered by the traffic behind me.
4. Clatter the pallet at 60MPH and break it into smaller pieces and thus making it a little safer for those coming up behind me, and hope it doesn't do too much damage to my car.
I chose number 4, and stamped on and off the brakes immediately before hitting it to raise the front as much as possible. Fortunately all it did to my car was to break off a little piece of the undertray.
Given the situation again, I would do the same. Better to repair the car than try and repair peoples bodies and lives.
In my case I was in the outside lane of the M60 at 6am, and was between a long wheelbase transit, and the central reservation. There was a wooden pallet, admittedly dark painted, so didn't see it quite as quickly as I would have liked, but had 4 options:
1. Try and go between the pallet and central reservation at 60MPH, and risk spinning the car and getting clattered by the traffic behind me.
2. Try and get between the pallet and the Transit, and potentially hit the Transit and then get clattered by the traffic behind me
3. Slam on the brakes so I can avoid the pallet, and get clattered by the traffic behind me.
4. Clatter the pallet at 60MPH and break it into smaller pieces and thus making it a little safer for those coming up behind me, and hope it doesn't do too much damage to my car.
I chose number 4, and stamped on and off the brakes immediately before hitting it to raise the front as much as possible. Fortunately all it did to my car was to break off a little piece of the undertray.
Given the situation again, I would do the same. Better to repair the car than try and repair peoples bodies and lives.
horrendous and tragic story there but with a good message! I was on the A42 late at night a few weeks back, traffic to my right or blind ditch to my left. Lorry tyre in front explodes and leaves a full size carcass in my path. Before any clever posters start, it was pitch black and I was far enough behind the truck to be a safe stopping distance but in an unlit stretch your lights go only so far and expecting to see a tyre come off is not something most plan for. I couldn't break or avoid it as I'd put myself and others at risk so car took the brunt
Fortunately for many years we had Toyota Cressidas as the family/wife's car. We live out of town in rural Oz, & you need something a bit tough.
Late one afternoon on the main road, traveling between 60 & 70 MPH she saw a dead kangaroo on her side of the road. Instead of moving to the other side of the road, for some strange reason, she chose to straddle it, particularly as there were no cars coming the other way.
Fortunately the Cressida has a large heavy skid plate under the front, protecting the steering rack, subframe & engine sump, as kangaroos are not small animals. The car according to a witness leaped about 3 or more feet into the air, & did some sliding around before stopping.
I said they were tough, the car was undamaged, but my wife was bleeding profusely from a wound to her shin, from something her leg hit up under the dash.
To this day she can not explain why she chose to hit the kangaroo, but does prove, it is sometimes better to avoid an object rather than hit it. If she had been driving a light FWD shopping trolley, the result would have much worse. When those things hit a kangaroo, they usually leave quite a lot of their front suspension behind on the road.
Late one afternoon on the main road, traveling between 60 & 70 MPH she saw a dead kangaroo on her side of the road. Instead of moving to the other side of the road, for some strange reason, she chose to straddle it, particularly as there were no cars coming the other way.
Fortunately the Cressida has a large heavy skid plate under the front, protecting the steering rack, subframe & engine sump, as kangaroos are not small animals. The car according to a witness leaped about 3 or more feet into the air, & did some sliding around before stopping.
I said they were tough, the car was undamaged, but my wife was bleeding profusely from a wound to her shin, from something her leg hit up under the dash.
To this day she can not explain why she chose to hit the kangaroo, but does prove, it is sometimes better to avoid an object rather than hit it. If she had been driving a light FWD shopping trolley, the result would have much worse. When those things hit a kangaroo, they usually leave quite a lot of their front suspension behind on the road.
Some sad tales here. A reminder to save the Highways Agency number to your speed-dial on your phone so that it's there when you need it, and call in anything you see on the motorway. A rope, a plank, a shredded tyre. Just get the details of the closest marker board. Your actions could save a life.
Pints said:
Some sad tales here. A reminder to save the Highways Agency number to your speed-dial on your phone so that it's there when you need it, and call in anything you see on the motorway. A rope, a plank, a shredded tyre. Just get the details of the closest marker board. Your actions could save a life.
I ran over a double set of ladders on the m6 a while back in an xc60. Braked hard then released as went over them with strong grip on steering wheel. So much for forward alert, it did nothing. Too much traffic to swerve. No damage apart from some dents underneath went with the most almighty bang though as was still doing about 65 when I hit. Dialed 999 instantly to report best course of action IMO. boweslion said:
Take just today, a large stack of boxes of biscuits collapsed all over the place . The morons customers were all simply walking around them and stepping over them, not a single one of them made an attempt to pick them up or assist the member of staff who eventually picked them up.
That's not the same at all. I don't think lives were being endangered by the boxes of biscuits strewn over the supermarket floor.Yes, some customer might restack the display, but isn't that what the staff are being paid for?
boweslion said:
It's nothing to do with driving standards, it's because people are just morons altogether. I work in retail, and I am absolutely bewildered by how thick and moronic the public are. It's unfortunate to think that this will inevitably be carried over to when they get in a car.
Take just today, a large stack of boxes of biscuits collapsed all over the place . Themorons customers were all simply walking around them and stepping over them, not a single one of them made an attempt to pick them up or assist the member of staff who eventually picked them up.
Presumably you're working there cos NASA was full up, yeah? Take just today, a large stack of boxes of biscuits collapsed all over the place . The
Nice show of respect for those without whom you'd be unemployed.
Edited by s3fella on Thursday 7th March 10:41
Sounds about right.
I was attending an RTA the other day (my brother swerved into a ditch after a lorry pulled out in front of him).
The police had coned off one lane of the dual carriageway with flashing cones and a sign, leading up to a police car with flashing lights. Yet someone still managed to perform an emergency stop right before the cones as they hadn't left space to get over into lane 2.
I mean really! What did they miss?! The flashing lights or the signs?!
I was attending an RTA the other day (my brother swerved into a ditch after a lorry pulled out in front of him).
The police had coned off one lane of the dual carriageway with flashing cones and a sign, leading up to a police car with flashing lights. Yet someone still managed to perform an emergency stop right before the cones as they hadn't left space to get over into lane 2.
I mean really! What did they miss?! The flashing lights or the signs?!
This topic I try not to dwell on anymore as the level of peoples ignorance has me seething. Yet here I am reading a topic about it. I wish there was something we could do to educate people, or rather something the government would do. They never would though as chances are it would harm their re-election chances and doesn't look so eco-friendly as lowering limits everywhere.
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