I felt the M1 minibus accident thread has been derailed enough so thought a new thread might be better.
This is not a dig at the poster who saw the truck stationary 10 mins prior or at anyone else it’s just a reminder to us all.
My point is simple if you see something that does not look right then dial 999 and report it, you can use a handheld phone to dial 999 it is the only exception to the mobile phone law so no excuses such as I don’t have hands-free or my Bluetooth is in my bag. In this case what looked to be a broken down vehicle in lane 1 which seemingly was there for 12 mins, and no doubt a fair few vehicles could have passed it safely and reported it, whether anyone did I do not know.
But I am fairly confident if it had been reported it would have been acted upon with at least the highways Wombles being sent out to investigate, although I imagine the police would have responded immediately, that terrible loss of life could possibly have been prevented, 12 mins would have been long enough for emergency services to possibly get to the scene before the accident and also allows information to be put up on matrix signs.
I know I’m guilty of thinking all too often that someone else will have reported an accident or breakdown in a live lane especially when it is busy, I am sure the 999 dispatchers would rather be inundated with calls than not to get a call and have something like this happen that may have been avoided if people report it.
I would also say that in some cases being truck drivers and having large vehicles if you see a broken down car with people in it, slow your vehicle down if possible and stop as far behind it as possible with your hazards on and beacons if you happen to have them, get your hi viz on and try and warn traffic further up the slip road whilst dialling 999, obviously thinking about your own safety as well and trying to get the people out of the car and to safety.
Small actions like that could prevent a scenario like the one that unfolded on the M1.
I would happily use my truck to shield a broken down vehicle if people are in it, and I am sure that any decent company would be proud of a driver for taking such action even if the vehicle then got damaged.
So if you see something report it, don’t assume someone else will have or if you can stop and help as long as you can do so safely. Lets all try and look out for each other.
The emergency services would rather have a 100 call about the same thing, than none until it’s too late etc…