Carnage on M62 West Yorkshire

[flango]

Was out early this morning and went up from Doncaster to the M62 interchange at Ferrybridge and then headed West on the M62. From the A1 at Redhouse to Junction 26 of the M62 at Bradford there were 13 accidents (unlucky for some & yes I counted them) the emergency services were flying about like blue a***d flies and why. Because despite several weather forecasts warning of a big feeze last night not one stretch of these roads had been gritted, there was a BMW 3 series estate hung off the motorway entangled in railings by its rear door, a E320 implanted into the motorway bridge and a Peugeot 205 actually between the barriers in the central reservation.

Seems the Highways Agency has a lot to answer for to me? Either that or people were driving beyond the limits for the conditions? or a combination of both?

 

[prprandall51]

Whilst I agree that gritting should be timely and thorough, the drivers will have had plenty of indication of the prevailing conditions and have simply driven in a fashion innapropriate for the conditions. If there is no grit, reduce speed appropriately. End of. Bet they all go home and start drafting angry letters to the Highways Agency, though (and make big claims on their insurance that we all have to fund).

Since driving back from the midlands last week early one morning and passing no less than 7 gritters / ploughs working on the southbound M40 alone, I would say the Highways Agency have been swift and thorough in their response to the weather conditions.

Philip

 

[flango]

I would say the Highways Agency have been swift and thorough in their response to the weather conditions.

Philip

That is certainly is not the case in Yorkshire, gritters and ploughs as rare as rocking horse droppings. A guy that drives the gritter for the local steelworks has been coming home on a lunch and doing the road from our village to the motorway so we can actually get out (Uphill on every exit)

So no grit on the motorways and no grit on the urban roads. So what are the Highways agency & local council doing???

Totally agree with your point about drivers and conditions though, I made it through with no drama's

 

[Howard]

Have you actually asked the Highways Agency if they have suspended gritting in Yorkshire or is it hearsay ?

 

[CE230]

A lot of the gritter drivers will have daytime jobs with the Council too and by now must be totally knackered. Perhaps they had some well deserved time off.

 

[flango]

Have you actually asked the Highways Agency if they have suspended gritting in Yorkshire or is it hearsay ?

Have e mailed them but their response is about the same as the Yorkshire gritting Plan " Non Existent"

 

[flango]

A lot of the gritter drivers will have daytime jobs with the Council too and by now must be totally knackered. Perhaps they had some well deserved time off.

Awwwwwwwww poor little bunnies, they only have to work that hard once every 18 years Welcome to the real world

 

[kikkthecat]

Because despite several weather forecasts warning of a big feeze last night not one stretch of these roads had been gritted,

And not one of these drivers thought about slowing down.

I drive that motorway 2 or 3 times a day and it amazes me just what risks drivers are prepared to take no matter what the weather conditions. All the 4x4 drivers believing they are immune to the laws of physics, all the wagon drivers who believe that putting on indicators gives them instant right of way, all the others who believe that 10 feet from the car in front at 90 Mph is the safest way to travel.
The list goes on, and yes the highways agency are on it but nowhere near the top.

 

[flango]

And not one of these drivers thought about slowing down.

I drive that motorway 2 or 3 times a day and it amazes me just what risks drivers are prepared to take no matter what the weather conditions. All the 4x4 drivers believing they are immune to the laws of physics, all the wagon drivers who believe that putting on indicators gives them instant right of way, all the others who believe that 10 feet from the car in front at 90 Mph is the safest way to travel.
The list goes on, and yes the highways agency are on it but nowhere near the top.

Totally agree as already said in post #3 the way some drivers behave never ceases to amaze me then when they get into trouble they blame everyone else but themselves

 

[CE230]

Awwwwwwwww poor little bunnies, they only have to work that hard once every 18 years Welcome to the real world

Every winter season actually. Although we rarely get snow in the quantity we've experienced lately we do get icy roads every year.

 

[flango]

Every winter season actually. Although we rarely get snow in the quantity we've experienced lately we do get icy roads every year.

Yeah but you don't have to plough icy roads !!!! although I'm sure they will try judging by the intelligence shown so far

 

[davidjpowell]

I would have expected motorways to be gritted - if they were not perhaps they could have used their very expensive signs to let drivers know that road may perhaps be ever so slightly more slippy than normal... Having said that they have not gritted where I live either, (deep ditched either side of country roads) so made for very slow progress getting my Daughter to pre-school. Slow is Safe, - she did ask why Daddy was driving so slowly though!

 

[kwakdonut]

I would have expected motorways to be gritted - if they were not perhaps they could have used their very expensive signs to let drivers know that road may perhaps be ever so slightly more slippy than normal... Having said that they have not gritted where I live either, (deep ditched either side of country roads) so made for very slow progress getting my Daughter to pre-school. Slow is Safe, - she did ask why Daddy was driving so slowly though!

And you think these nob-heads can read????

 

[Mr E]

No different down here in West Sussex.....

I've just got in having been called out at 0730 this morning to an RTA...it ended up with 4 fairly serious accidents on seperate roads involving road closures and hospitalisation.

In one case the driver had ignored the "Road Closed" sign - the river had flooded and then frozen on the road overnight - and his Range Rover had gone through the parapet and, fortunately, lodged onto the bank. It would seem from his injuries that he was not wearing a seat belt either.

All the other involved people driving too fast for the conditions and then sliding at quite considerable speed, into other oncoming vehicles. These are not dual-carriageways or main roads, but country lanes. Although they were not gritted (they seldom are) someone "official" had been out and put up ice warning signs on each junction during the night.

Even had one plonker drive road the "Accident - Road Closed" signs up to the scene of another and ask the Fire Brigade how long they were going to hold up the traffic as he was late for an appointment. When they told him the road was closed as they were removing a casualty he jumped into his Range Rover (do I see a them developing here?) and tried to drive round the cars on the verge before the police stopped him. He was still in discussions with them 30 mins later when I left for home....

 

[Doodle]

immune to the laws of physics

Reminds me of a line used in reference to the original Audi quattro.

"Remember kiddies, 4 times nothing is exactly the same as 2 times nothing"

 

[flango]

52 accidents in West Yorkshire this morning and number still rising. Have they gritted now? of course not time these people were held accountable for their actions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7883133.stm?lss

 

[st13phil]

I would estimate that I drove approximately a third of my 26-mile route to work today (mainly B-roads) on ice. It was quite patchy, with some stretches of up to two miles having no ice at all, and other similar length stretches with anything from a little ice to almost sheet ice. Far from ideal driving conditions, but by a combination of driving appropriately and good fortune I didn't have any "moments".

But (and here's the rub), I don't expect the route to be gritted - especially with the current pressure on salt supplies and, presumably, the gritting crews - but I think that most people do expect a motorway to be gritted. What's wrong with using the gantry signs to provide information in these circumstances? I know some will ignore them, but many others won't. Also, if a motorway is the subject of a spillage that makes the road slippery then the road is closed, not just to facilitate the clean up, but also to prevent the loonys trying to drive on it as though conditions were fine. So when it is covered with ice and we know we haven't gritted it, why don't we do the same thing and close the road?

 

[flango]

I would estimate that I drove approximately a third of my 26-mile route to work today (mainly B-roads) on ice. It was quite patchy, with some stretches of up to two miles having no ice at all, and other similar length stretches with anything from a little ice to almost sheet ice. Far from ideal driving conditions, but by a combination of driving appropriately and good fortune I didn't have any "moments".

But (and here's the rub), I don't expect the route to be gritted - especially with the current pressure on salt supplies and, presumably, the gritting crews - but I think that most people do expect a motorway to be gritted. What's wrong with using the gantry signs to provide information in these circumstances? I know some will ignore them, but many others won't. Also, if a motorway is the subject of a spillage that makes the road slippery then the road is closed, not just to facilitate the clean up, but also to prevent the loonys trying to drive on it as though conditions were fine. So when it is covered with ice and we know we haven't gritted it, why don't we do the same thing and close the road?

To be fair the gantry and Matrix signs wers showing " Ice slow down" and flashing 40 (but that was too fast for some stretches) In hindsight I bet they wish they had closed the road the M621 just down from me looks like the local scrap yard at the moment.

All the cr*p about shortage of rock salt really annoys me too I can tell you where there is a 600,000 tonne stockpile, and others besides truth of the matter the councils won't pay the UK rate so they get cheap less effective grits and salts shipped in from France and Spain as they have no budget left so they minimise cost and urban roads get left ungritted compromising peoples lives. Have these people worked out how cost effective this is?????

But there is NO NO excuse for not gritting motorways

 

[oldcro]

To be fair the gantry and Matrix signs wers showing " Ice slow down" and flashing 40 (but that was too fast for some stretches) In hindsight I bet they wish they had closed the road the M621 just down from me looks like the local scrap yard at the moment.

All the cr*p about shortage of rock salt really annoys me too I can tell you where there is a 600,000 tonne stockpile, and others besides truth of the matter the councils won't pay the UK rate so they get cheap less effective grits and salts shipped in from France and Spain as they have no budget left so they minimise cost and urban roads get left ungritted compromising peoples lives. Have these people worked out how cost effective this is?????

But there is NO NO excuse for not gritting motorways

We are running short of rock salt, so let me know where this stockpile is and I'll pass it on.

 

[johnsco]

The West Yorkshire M62 area experienced some strange weather this morning.
As I drove out of Hudderfield towards Mirfield and then onto the M62, I drove through torrential rain.
This was when the air temperature was only a touch above zero.
This rain will have washed the salt away (if there ever was any salt) and then re-frozen on the cold road surface.
I saw some of the carnage on the M62 at around 8 am this morning.
The slip road off the Eastbound carriageway to Bradford was partially-closed due to some unfortunate person who has taken to the crash-barrier.
There were a number of places with black ice between Barnsley and Bradford.
Sorry - But there is no excuse for not taking special care when the conditions are obviously bad, as they were this morning.

There but for the grace of God go we all !!
Johnsco