http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-15603124

Probably caused by speed

Could you put down your Daily Mail and tell me where you got that “fact” from, please?

(Also, on a point of pedantry, it wasn’t this morning)

Hmm, haven’t heard of a big pileup for many a year. Seems a little odd in this day and age. Foggy was it?

Right speed for the conditions. If its safe to do 20, it’s 20. The biggest danger on the motorway comes from tailgaters and people concentrating more on their speedo than the flow of the traffic

All in all, a bit insensitive since we don’t know what really happened yet.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm77oqPvOG0[/video]

why not just reduce the speed to 65mph the max for a coach.

NSL speed limit for a coach it 70mph, incidentally.

yep was around 10 ish last night Motorway closed all day
very sad for what i was hearing

Jesus project, you manage to twist many a story to suit your wailing and gnashing of teeth…

Rain and fog Mol. Happened yesterday evening. M5 still shut.

I guess some people won’t be seeing their loved ones this weekend, or ever. But ne’er mind, it gives project something to whinge about on a Saturday.

EDIT

Rain and fog Mol

Seems there are conflicting reports about weather conditions. 😕

So far the only fact the OP has right is that there was a motorway involved.

Did no one die when average speeds where lower then? Move on from your vintage idyll and come into the 21st century.

It’s an awful incident for all involved.

So why not stop being a dick about it and get on with something important?

Project is right though,I would bet my arse the major factor was inappropriate speed and following too close though!! The timing if this tragic event just highlights how daft increasing the speed limit is.

I was watching someone defend the increase to an 80mph limit on the telly box a few weeks back, cant remember if he was a Tory or an RAC/AA type person. Anyway he said something like people are sensible enough to be able to choose if they go 80 or 70 or whatever. I doubt that bloe has ever driven if he thinks motorists either think for themselves or appear capable of making sensible decisions.

Yet, he’s on TV taking about it, and you aren’t. Why d’you think that might be?

Probably caused by speed

No, most probably caused by inappropriate speed and/or someone not paying attention.

I went on a speed awareness course a few months ago, and even the ex-copper who presented it was careful to not use the ‘speed kills’ phrase – because its not true.

why not just reduce the speed to 65mph the max for a coach.

And 5mph will make what difference exactly?

I don’t like the thought of this tragedy being turned into a spectacle for discussion so quickly, when we know so little, and people are yet to told that their loved ones have died. But I’d just like to say that this comment is worthy of note :

The biggest danger on the motorway comes from tailgaters

I can’t see how 27 vehicles can be involved in one accident without it being a case of inappropriate distances between vehicles. It’s clear that on motorways, the faster vehicles travel, the closer they get to the vehicle in front. The biggest gaps between vehicles are always between the slowest vehicles – madness. Even if a driver keeps a sensible distance it is no guarantee against shunting. Hopefully one day there will be the technology to clock and fine drivers of vehicles which travel too close to the vehicle in front.

I can’t imagine what the first responders had/are having to deal with.

I’m ~20 miles away. There was a lot of water on the road. Then some fairly thick Fog formed very rapidly ~7pm and lasted until ~9pm when it completely cleared. I think the collisions happened at ~8pm.

My GF returned from a visit to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton via that section of road, at ~5pm. It would have been horrific in A&E and MAU dealing with the 40 hurt peeps. Feeling very relieved she wasn’t caught up in it. My thoughts are with the 40 hurt peeps.

Even if its not *caused* by speed, speed makes it worse.

Wasn’t there a fireworks display right next to the motorway when this happened? If so, I reckon that could have contributed as much as how close people drive to each other.

I can’t see how 27 vehicles can be involved in one accident without it being a case of inappropriate distances between vehicles

I think this hits the nail on the head, we’ve got a family friend who is a traffic officer who says they are far more likely to pull you for tailgating than speeding, its all about the stopping distance.

Speed doesn’t kill, proximity does.

Yet, he’s on TV taking about it, and you aren’t. Why d’you think that might be?

because he was a politician/lobyiest? Do you seriously think the majority of drivers make sensible and rational dcisions regarding speed and distance.

Oh and speed does kills you fools its simple physics, if your going faster the the forces in crashes are higher. Having appropriate safety margins can prevent the crashes of course, but the majority dont use them. All this **** about with inappropriate speed crap is all well and good if the mjority of drivers had any **** clue about what they were doing, but most dont.

I don’t like the thought of this tragedy being turned into a spectacle for discussion so quickly,

Hear hear.

without it being a case of inappropriate distances between vehicles.

Yup. This is a fundamental problem generally. Many people drive at speed with the same braking distance they’d have around town. It’s not enough.

I’m ~20 miles away.

OH was brought up in Taunton. It was a bit difficult last night.

Speed doesn’t kill, proximity does

bullshit, you can be very close if in a traffic jam and the chances of death are low, each view boiled down the the basics is stupid.

Info from someone on Pistonheads who claims to be involved in the aftermath:

The incident appears to have been caused by a vehicle travelling too slowly to merge safely just pulling out from the sliproad and onto the motorway, causing the vehicle behind (an HGV) to brake/change lanes and setting off the horrific chain of events we’re now discussing.

because he was a politician/lobyiest?

Was he? You thought he was might’ve been from the AA a minute ago.

Do you seriously think the majority of drivers make sensible and rational dcisions regarding speed and distance.

No, I don’t. But that’s a wholly different point.

All this **** about with inappropriate speed crap

Yes, it’s crap, well done, you’ve got us there. We should all drive round on the motorway at 40mph irrespective of road conditions. That’s a much better idea.

there were certainly some impenetrable banks of patchy fog in the South West last night..
I imagine this was a major factor in producing the conditions needed for this sort of event to occur..

you can be very close if in a traffic jam and the chances of death are low, each view boiled down the the basics is stupid.

You can be driving at 200mph on an empty motorway and the chances of death are low, each view boiled down the the basics is stupid.

The incident appears to have been caused by a vehicle travelling too slowly

bullshit, you can be very close if in a traffic jam and the chances of death are low, each view boiled down the the basics is stupid.

Stop being an argumentative prick, I’m off to ride my bike

You can be driving at 200mph on an empty motorway and the chances of death are low, each view boiled down the the basics is stupid.

Tell that to that little fella on top gear.

Was he? You thought he was might’ve been from the AA a minute ago.

Could of been but they are a very big lobbying/pro car group.

Do you seriously think the majority of drivers make sensible and rational dcisions regarding speed and distance.

No, I don’t. But that’s a wholly different point.

How? We could get rid of all speed limits everywhere, if we think drivers should determine the speed they travel at? You’ll need to explain your point here, I’m not sure I get it.

All this **** about with inappropriate speed crap

Yes, it’s crap, well done, you’ve got us there. We should all drive round on the motorway at 40mph irrespective of road conditions. That’s a much better idea.

Dont understand this point either, you seem a bit confused to me.

Nah, he was doing 288mph. Ultimate proof that it’s speed that’s dangerous.

The incident appears to have been caused by a vehicle travelling too slowly to merge safely just pulling out from the sliproad and onto the motorway, causing the vehicle behind (an HGV) to brake/change lanes and setting off the horrific chain of events we’re now discussing.

Yup, I can imagine how that could have been a cause of the accident. The question is how did 27 vehicles become involved ?

i don’t think it’s about speed, it’s about safe distance.

everyone could be travelling at 200 mph and there wouldn’t be a pile up if safe distances were applied.

either way it’s horrific stuff.

Stop being an argumentative prick, I’m off to ride my bike

Have fun

Easy there with the clever remarks. Real people have died.

The question is how did 27 vehicles become involved ?

The 27 vehicles came to be involved for a multitude of reasons.
These may include, but are not limited to:

Travelling too close to the car in front
Not concentrating on the road and events ahead
Poorly maintained vehicles
Tyres with too little tread
Inappropriate speed for the conditions
Sheer, utter bad luck 🙁

My thoughts are with the families, If I’d have stayed in Cornwall for the extra night that I was considering I’d have been passing that junction at about the time it happened!

That stretch of motorway seems to be an accident blackspot, several times I’ve been held up around Bridgewater, one time I ended up having to divert adding 4hrs to my journey home.

It’s also worth noting that Bridgewater had flash flooding yesterday, that amount of water, heavy rain (it seems to be raining there more than anywhere else on the m40/A30, it’s bit of a micro climate there) and thick fog, couple that with folk who will have been driving for around 2hrs+ coming up from the south. Its a worry given I drive that route a hell of a lot.

Tell that to that little fella on top gear.

Which motorway was he on when he crashed his rocket-powered car, then?

How? We could get rid of all speed limits everywhere, if we think drivers should determine the speed they travel at? You’ll need to explain your point here, I’m not sure I get it.

Well, you essentially seemed to be saying “there was an expert on TV talking about this, I know more than he does.”

I’d love to be able to get rid of speed limits. I think the majority of people would drive sensibly. However, a good chunk wouldn’t, which is why limits are necessary. In an ideal world we’d have variable limits everywhere, but that’s impractical.

Dont understand this point either, you seem a bit confused to me.

Seems one of us is.

I don’t like the thought of this tragedy being turned into a spectacle for discussion so quickly, when we know so little, and people are yet to told that their loved ones have died.

and

Easy there with the clever remarks. Real people have died.

Well, you essentially seemed to be saying “there was an expert on TV talking about this, I know more than he does.”

I’d love to be able to get rid of speed limits. I think the majority of people would drive sensibly. However, a good chunk wouldn’t, which is why limits are necessary. In an ideal world we’d have variable limits everywhere, but that’s impractical.

So politicans and procar lobbyiests are experts on road safety are they?

Do you really think most people drive sensibly? I’m stunned anyone would think this after a short trip around our roads.

Dont understand this point either, you seem a bit confused to me.

Seems one of us is.

so clear, thanks

Or, we could be adults and accept that nasty things happen and discussing them is one way of learning how to prevent them happening again, or lessen their impact.

So politicans and procar lobbyiests are experts on road safety are they?

i’m sure that traffic experts are employed by the pro lobby yes.

if you’re trying to suggest that the anti lobby will be any more objective than the pro lobby then yours is an argument built on sand.