About 20 years ago there was a big pile up on the M4 in thick fog. The cause people driving too fast and to close together. So they interview some tit on the news and his excuse for not slowing down and driving to suit the prevailing conditions, “the police hadn’t turned on the matrix signs to say it was foggy”. Like the white fluffy stuff reducing visibility wasn’t a big f***ing clue..
People who drive like c0cks will usually use any excuse to justify the way they drive.
Several drivers said it was perfectly clear, then it was like someone poured emulsion paint over the windscreen. It appears that there was no gradual mistiness getting thicker
That is what happened in Wells that evening. Instant P-soup, clearing completely in 2 hours. Very likely it was a contributory factor.
very sad for all concerned, shout out to the emergency staff, must be fekin horrific turning up to see that even if it is your job :O
i'll never forget years ago, only been driving a few years, went to london to see a gig and was driving back to wales, came up the slip road onto the motorway and hit a thick wall of fog just after pulling onto the motorway itself! i sh*t myself and instinct told me to keep moving, after about 15 long seconds it cleared... i still think back was that the correct procedure?
should i have pulled over to the hard shoulder?
what would have you done?
paulosoxo - MemberHow about if you had left an adequate gap, but your brakes failed or you had a blow out under braking. What about if you had a heart attack at the wheel?
Sure, that can happen, but here it would have had to have happened simultanously to about 30 vehicles.
It'd be nice if after something like this, people did have a bit of a think about their driving, I think most of us are guilty of driving too close together at times. I know I am.
maybe we should drive accordingly rather than moan about what they do.So is this your fix. Some training
there will always be bad or distracted drivers, or those who simply make bad decisions. People need protecting from themselves. If that means babysitting drivers so be it.
Drove on the M5 today just 20 miles northbound from the accident, far too many people still driving like tools for my liking.
I don't think the people that 'need' to learn something from Friday night actually will 
I see the plod are talking about a thick bank of smoke across the motorway. Still think this is a bit unlikely. It is hard to imagine that smoke from a bonfire being that thick. Its far more likely, as Countzero says that particulates from the fire along with the thermal mixing caused a local fog bank.
RE: the bonfire smoke. I've watched a firework display from an adjacent field, down wind, on a foggy night. We couldn't actually see the fireworks and we ended up separated in the field unable to see our own hands at arms length. I can fully believe it may have been a contributory factor. There was no bonfire on that particular night, it was the firework smoke.
If there was "a big white wall" in front of me I'd be hoping that by looking far enough ahead I'd see it before I got there. Call it a stab in the dark, but things like cats eyes failing to reflect light, armco barriers disappearing into mist, not being able to see any vehicles in the distance, not being able to see any stars or lighting - oh and the presence of a BFO bank of fog/smoke might inform the alert driver that something was not quite right in the distance.
mrmo - Member
We accept that deaths on the road are inevitable, that over 3000 people are killed each year is unfortunate but it is a price deemed acceptable for the freedom vehicles offer
1850 people in 2010. Still far too many of course.
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/reported-road-casualties-gb-main-results-2010/reported-road-casualties-gb-main-results-2010.pdf
maybe we should drive accordingly rather than moan about what they do.
So is this your fix. Some trainingthere will always be bad or distracted drivers, or those who simply make bad decisions. People need protecting from themselves. If that means babysitting drivers so be it.
What the **** are you talking about?
people stating certainties now are stupid irrespective of whether they turn out to be right.
good article here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/06/government-intensely-relaxed-traffic-deaths
As details of the victims are now starting to come out, disabled man trapped in burning car etc, can we just close this thread now and have a bit of respect.
The firework display in question didn't actually have a bonfire.
A spokeman from the Rugby Club who organised it has been speaking to the local paper today.
Knowing this fact and being from Taunton so knowing the area, etc it seems very unlikely that the display would've caused any major visibilty issues to me.
More likely drivers being distracted by the fireworks and losing concentration for a few seconds.
Obviously not
No ones being disrespectful Ben. It's called an adult discussion.
I'm not saying people are necessarily being disrespectful but we seem to have reached page 4 of 'who knows best' and don't seem any further forwards; as the the road had reopened seemed like a good time to move on
In the UK we actually drive pretty well compared to most of the rest of the world. I think we have a fair number of good drivers who probably prevent a lot of accidents that would otherwise be caused by morons although there's no stat that could ever prove that.
If you try driving around Istanbul, Karachi, Delhi or Tehran you'll realise how good the UK is. In Iran they have 38,000 deaths per year from a pop. of 75 million but with fewer cars/journeys than the UK.
The argument over an 80mph motorway limit is pointless. I've spoken to several traffic cops from different forces who've all said, "Keep it under 90 and you'll be fine." How many people get done doing less than 90 on a motorway?
I got done for 92
I agree with Ben..if you want to argue/discuss driving skills and techniques, start a new thread but this it is inappropriate under this heading.
This topic has been closed to new replies.
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