geoff-r Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Wow http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16103826 That's one hell of a pile up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Yeah, BBC are reporting "several dead". Conditions were bad, heavy rain, fog and darkness, ideal conditions for a massive pile up. I guess slowing down isn't an option for some Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycey Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Sorry to hear about those who died and are injured but why don't people drive to the conditions like we are all taught. It's people's inability to drive correctly that caused such a horrific crash. I really hope no one here or your families have been affected by this. A very sad day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I used to live in Taunton and the section of the M5 between Taunton & Brigewater is a nightmare, constant closures due to accidents so I am not surprised there has been a really serious one. Thoughts with the familys and hopefully nobody I know involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 That looks pretty horrific. Driving too close together no doubt. Speed becomes less of an issue if you keep a 'safe zone' around you and a safe distance from the car in front. If the car behind is too close you can still end up in trouble.... As a side note.... Their eye witness is operating his phone while driving by the looks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangzoom Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 really hope not too many people have lost their lives...hopefully this will make the government think again raising the speed limit to 80mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavis Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 hopefully this will make the government think again raising the speed limit to 80mph. And what difference will that make in this case when you have fog and heavy rain and darkness? There will be the same accidents on the motorway regardless with the odd biggy like this one now and again. I dont drive on the motorway that much but the odd times i have in recent months i can honestly say the standard of driving in general is atrocious Poor lane discipline, driving to close to the car infront are the main problems i noticed and people not paying any attention to the driving conditions they find themselves in and chuck in the fact that most cant use indicators or the mirrors in their vehicles i am surprised there are not more accidents on this scale. What is it with Friday's and motorways? every friday afternoon the M6 near me is generally closed for several hours even in good weather between J15 and J20 because of a big accident!! :edit: And forgot the fantastic standard of driving of some foreign lorry drivers using our motorways as well! I do agree the limit should be raised in general too 80mph but that would not have averted last nights accident. Hope not too many people were killed last night or injured in this horrible crash though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 That's a shocker! Bit speechless really, "Conditions on the road have been described as "difficult" at the time of the smash." Feel for the famalies all involved, can't be nice at all Driver education isssues again probably! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Dreadful so many families/friends affected. Stew: Think the vid is clear enough to see it was the passenger taking it and he mentions his friend winding up the window because of the heat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Stew: Think the vid is clear enough to see it was the passenger taking it and he mentions his friend winding up the window because of the heat Right enough Colin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Bloody hell, hadn't realised it was that bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pimm Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I travelled home last night at midnight and the fog was so thick and hearing what had happened, very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff-r Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 I know the weather probably played a huge contributing factor but the standards of driving on the motorway is shocking, although I find 70mph to be tedious at times considering it was a limit brought in when your average car would have wobbled up to that speed and struggled to get back down I believe raising it to 80 would cause chaos. There really needs to be proper education, motorway driving should be a compulsory part of learning to drive (possibly incorporated the same way pass plus is once your test has been passed). It's amazing you can pass a test without using a motorway, utter madness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK-Ultra Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 As mentioned the fact that general driving ability is so shockingly poor, there has to be better driver training made compulsory. Also if they can make speed cameras so effectively, why can't they develop a camera that can capture drivers who do not follow the 'two second' and instead sit a meter off the bumper of the driver in front. Surely it cannot be that hard to implement and enforce. And while its not going to avoid all crashes it would surely help avoid a lot of them. The countless times I've seen hold-ups and crashes caused by people sitting so close to others that they don't have time to brake or when they do they slam them on causing others to crash. Very sad to hear this news, I feel sorry for all those injured and the friends and families of those involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Just seen this aerial footage:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15607476 It's absolute carnage, what those poor people must have gone through is mind numbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I'm staying at a hotel right next to J25. Police and ambulance were around ready to use the hotel for those caught up in it if needed. Heard a loud boom last night and thought it was a big firework, but soon found out that it was more likely something exploding as it was right at the time the crash happened... I'm no accident investigator, but the crash was right next to the slip road on to the M5, its my guess is that someone joined the motorway and some evasive action had to be taken resulting in the trucks jack-knifing. It's an uphill slip road and two lanes merge into one before joining the main carriageway. It was a bit foggy and the road was wet but it wasn't raining at the time. Also there was a lot of traffic due to Bridgwater carnival. Its not a good junction at the best of times. Was a terrible accident and my thoughts go out to those affected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 So they are investigating the M5 motorway crash and think smoke from a fireworks display is to blame..... Sorry, this maybe didn't help but if the cars were driving at an appropriate speed for the smoke and at a safe distance then surely this would never have happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalos Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 So they are investigating the M5 motorway crash and think smoke from a fireworks display is to blame..... Sorry, this maybe didn't help but if the cars were driving at an appropriate speed for the smoke and at a safe distance then surely this would never have happened? If it was the smoke from fireworks it wouldn't have been a mile thick so you can't blame people not driving at an inappropriate speed. Maybe it was people slowing down suddenly after hitting a surprise section of smoke and a concertina affect happened with some not slowing as much as the traffic in front? You wouldn't see smoke at night until you are right up to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 No witness so far has spoken of smelling smoke which you would surely do if it wasn't fog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Speed becomes less of an issue if you keep a 'safe zone' around you and a safe distance from the car in front. If the car behind is too close you can still end up in trouble.... Yeah, I'm famous for the gaps I leave and don't get too concerned if someone starts tailgating me....some years ago I was behind a seven car pileup on a humpback bridge on my way to work in the dark, saw the brake lights come on in front of me and gradually slowed down as there was someone right on my bumper, he backed off when I slowed down and was promptly rear ended by the next car in the chain, luckily he didn't get pushed into me. There seem to be conflicting views if this was fog or smoke, one motorist has said it was definitely fog. If it was firework smoke then I can't see how you can lay the blame the organisers as they had permission and nothing like this has happened in the 50 years that the U.K has had Motorways. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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