I can't helping thinking that there are too many accidents nowadays.
Every morning I hear news for accidents on M1/M40/M4 etc. (my local news states on these motorways anyway)
Even on weekends there are crawling traffic on motorways.
Things weren't that bad a year earlier.
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I'm not sure if it's any worse this year - maybe just better reporting?
Of course, how many of these 'accidents' are actually avoidable?
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Quite a few recent accidents involved coaches! Eg. National Express at Newport-pagnell, latest 10 vehicles pile up on M1 which involved a Greenline bus and a lorry.
At once LHD foreign lorries were responsible for most accidents. But now our own RHD HGVs are also catching up.
It is also often told that UK driving test is the hardest on planet.
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This may appear a strange comment (and I hate talking about accidents and tempting fate) but as cars get safer, do peoples attitudes to risk taking alter?
When I was on a bike in full leathers, I know I drove a lot faster than if I was just wearing jeans and a leather jacket going down to the shops.
Drive safe.
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I've noticed that the Radio 2 traffic news in the mornings seems to frequently mention overturned lorries these days - are they suddenly all falling over for some reason?
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are they suddenly all falling over for some reason?
Being overloaded? Going too fast? There have been several incidents that lorries from continents often are not up to UK standard. Some even enter with faulty brakes!
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>>>> are they suddenly all falling over for some reason?
Trucks have been falling over for years - they aren't, and never have been, particularly stable in roll. It's also possible to get them oscillating in roll if you go through a roundabout at the wrong speed; left, right, and left again just at the wrong speed, and over it goes!
It's entirely possible that the total number of accidents isn't going up, but the fuss that's made around those that do happen is rising exponentially. Taking some common sense measures to keep traffic flowing doesn't seem to be anyone's highest priority.
Number_Cruncher
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Was just reading this thread when my mobile rang and a good friend of mine just informed me that his son died over the weekend in a bike accident - another waste of life, he was a young chap in his mid 20's, looks like speed in the wrong place may have been the cause - such a waste. Looks like I have a funeral to go to that could have been avoided.
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I am really sorry to hear about your friends son.
I drove up the M4 from Cardiff yesterday afternoon (steady 60mph on cruise and achieved 42mpg in a petrol CRV!). I noticed a few cars and trucks weaving across the lanes and on closer observation noticed in each case they appeared to be looking down and texting on their mobiles!
This is so incredibly dangerous
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I suspect it's not that there are 'too many accidents'. It's probably the current approach by Police and Highways Agency to close roads or lanes for significant periods after even minor accidents to clear debris and to conduct investigations. Previously, minor accidents were cleared rapidly and traffic was sent on its way. But these days someone has to be blamed, or there's a risk a claim will result and evidence isn't available. Result - the traffic hold up reaches Sally Traffic and colleagues.
JS
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The roads are getting more and more congested. Problems that never used to cause much of a hold-up now do, because there's so much traffic trying to use the road.
One lane out on a quiet motorway - no problem. One lane out now on most UK motorways most of the time - chaos.
It's easy to blame the cause of the delay as the problem. The real problem is too much traffic. And it's rising at 3% a year.
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