…why are there so many accidents in roadworks? Another one I got stuck in last night on the M1, three lanes open, straight road, yet someone managed to bin their car on the central barrier (thats what it looked like anyway).
Anyway, I got to thinking, why do so many motorway collosions occur in the 50mph zone roadworks? Is it disproportionate to the total number of motorway collisions?
Probably because lanes are narrower, you have lanes shifting from side to side into and out of the hard shoulder, and if it’s at night, people are tired. I avoid the M1 at Northampton like the plague now because of the narrow lanes and truckers who still insist on overtaking (the decision is made easier by the new higher limit on the A1 when I’m doing my London to Worksop sandwich run).
It’ll be to do with the fact that they cant just pur cones up and a speed limit. There has to be flashing orange lights on the cones and all works vehicles need flashing beacons. you also have the lastge “keep this side” lights with more bulbs than blackpool illuninations. Add in that all the works vehicles also have their hazards flashing and the dazzle from all the workies hi-viz vests and its a wonder anyone can see at all!
Because some numpty ■■■■■■■■ wants to go that little extra 3/4 of a MPH then everyone else and they all bunch up till someone gets too close to someone who then taps their break peddle to say ■■ off my arse …
The dangerous situations Ive noticed are tailgating lorries (obviously) and sometimes cars try to follow the burnt off erased white lines instead of the yellow studs. But mostly it’s tailgating.
Re M1 Northampton stretch … The only problem I’ve seen with lorries overtaking is when the lorry in lane 1 deliberately sits on the o/s white line to make it as tight as possible for the lorry in lane 2 to overtake. Both lanes 1 & 2 have no width restriction.
Ched:
Re M1 Northampton stretch … The only problem I’ve seen with lorries overtaking is when the lorry in lane 1 deliberately sits on the o/s white line to make it as tight as possible for the lorry in lane 2 to overtake. Both lanes 1 & 2 have no width restriction.
Agreed, I’m up and down through there often, usually with the cruise control set to 80 and if you’re going slower than that I’m coming past so keep your elbow in
Anyone else find those burnt off lines can be deceiving if there is sunshine following heavy rain. The standing water and the reflection from the sky can make the black lines look like normal lines to me sometimes so I need to ensure I follow the pattern of the studs entirely. Easiest way for me is to just put sunglasses on the I can see them clearly. 
of course there is also people following too close. People slamming brakes on to let others on from a slip road (!), people putting fog lights on in spray (all well and good…makes the car more visible until they brake and someone rams the up the jacksie because they hadn’t realise the brake lights had also come on!) and people like the mother I saw the other day in the 3rd lane texting/facebooking/twittering on her phone. All while driving her people carrier with the 2 kids in the car seats in the back and the obligatory ‘Child on Board’ sign in the back window!!!