M5 crash: Fears 'more than 10 killed'

Horrible, I tend to agree with all the people talking about drivers as well.

Honestly, I feel like people are so confident in how they drive, but so unconfident in how other people drive, that they just become apathetic. I see people doing the dumbest things imaginable. Sometimes I"ll be in a car with someone, another driver does something stupid, at which point the driver I'm with will usually turn and start ranting. Sometimes taking hands off the wheel entirely because they talk with there hands.

Usually driving with 1 hand on the wheel and not even in a good place, you ever seen someone just hold onto the bottom of the steering wheel with 1 hand? It's like really? What if another one of those "stupid drivers" that you hate so much just happens to cut you off right now. Is your reaction time really going to be as on the ball? Don't think so, but I don't think they care.

I think people are so sure that someone they consider an idiot, is going to drive into them. That they just shut off all logical thought when it comes to driving.

"Oh it's raining? Well some idiot is bound to hit me! I'm just gonna drive really fast and try to get off the road as quickly as possible! I can do that because I'm a great driver, it's everyone else..."

reply to post by Laurauk

I hope that this will make those drivers who ignore foggy conditions think again,unfortunately,it more than likely won't.My best wishes go out to those injured and their families.

reply to post by MCJustJ

On the road, you're only as safe as the most dangerous driver you meet.

And it's not always "the other guy".

First off - for those of us in the UK can you just quit with the American spelling? It's driving licence with a 'c' not an 's'. But mainly we are all jumping to conclusions here. Yes driving on UK motorways can be atrocious and many don't slow down for the conditions. But apparently that stretch of road is notorious for patchy fog - you think you are out of it then - wham.. A lot of people here who are coming over all holier than thou would no doubt be amongst those thinking 'good, the fog has gone' and speeding up. Or am I the only person ever who has slowed right down for fog then got back up to normal when I thought I was out of it?

Originally posted by Laurauk
reply to post by loves a conspiricy

 

It was foggy you would think with the fog warnings out they would heed the warnings. But as per usual, idiot drivers, thinking they can drive at any speed on the roads in the UK. Beggars believe that the Government is proposing an increase in the speed rate on the motorways in the UK.

Maybe now they will rethink implementing the new legislation.

edit on 5-11-2011 by Laurauk because: (no reason given)

That depends.
If the crash was caused by a lorry or HGV then raising the speedlimit is a moot point when the crash was caused due to the conditions and possibly a HGV.

I see a lot of jerks knee-jerking because of this.
A better attitude is what's needed, not the usual puritan attitudes.

Originally posted by Laurauk
Oks update on the ongoing pile up on the M5

Seven people have been killed and 51 injured in a 34-vehicle pile-up on the M5 in Somerset, police have confirmed.

They are also stating there may still be people trapped in the wreckage's.

My folks live in Taunton, and I have often driven on that stretch of the M5.
Conditions seem to be pretty bad last night with fog and wet roads and whether the nearby firework display had anything to do with it is just speculation at the moment.

That said though.........I've never been on any motorway journey where I haven't seen dangerous idiot drivers that undertake and tailgate.........and I've also been in heavy rain and poor visibility many times.........and yet the vehicle in front has no lights on:

My thoughts are with all the victims of this tragedy.......sadly it won't be the last I'm afraid.

The govenment?police fail big time on this issue.

I live in Australia, the Police vcery rarely patrol the major freeways, they turn a blind eye to speeding semi trailers B doubles ect who tailgate cars in the fast lane forcing them to swerve back into the slower lanes lest they be smashed into by Psyhcotic Truck driver(I was run off the road three weeks ago in the slow lane by a semi trailer...luckily I had room to stop without hitting a tree.

The Governemnet don't care that road deaths kill more civilians than any terror attacks (over decades we are talking tens of thousands folds more deaths by Trucks killing car drivers.

Some truckies are good and sane , they don't tailgate you when you are doing the speed limit or jsut above to overtake in the fast lane , but some do 120km plus on a 100km speed zone , and you will be crushed if you don't get out of their way FACT.

Why are freeways not patrolled ? because its easier to let people die and be maimed, whilst they have a ummarked speed camera on a suburban flat stretch of road flashing people doing 65km in a 60km zone where no crashes have ovccurred, yeah $100 plus per pop.

Truckies speeding(literally and literally) are not targetted , they are given license to kill over and over and over.

Iam not truckie bashing I have seen good drivers , but hand on heart they are the minority.

This is a real shame and my thoughts go out to the families involved.

I repeat what people say - people are such poor drivers
Mobile phones - how hard is it - don't hold these in your hand and talk. Headsets are cheap, and try and keep calls to only essential ones.
No varying speed for conditions - I see people flying past me well over 70 when the rain means you cannot see the end of your bonnet with the wipers on full.
Braking distance - people literally sat on your bumper because you are not going over the speed limit.
White Van Drivers - 99% of these idiots drive at full speed everywhere, all the time and are the worst culprits for ALL the above problems.
Roundabouts - people just don't get in a lane at all - just drive almost straight over the damn things. Clue is in the name - go ROUND it not over it.

I was reading about this on the BBC site and they mention the firework display and bonfire, which was close to the motorway, may have played a part in this but we can't assume this as there were apparrantly wet and foggy conditions already. What a tragic accident. My heart goes out to all concerned.

I dont understand why they want to increase the limit to 80mph when this is what most people seem to drive at already. Would raising the limit make people feel they can go that much faster as most already exceed the current limits anyway?

On every journey I make I see at least one person who is driving dangerously and/or breaking the law (using mobile phone).

Only yesterday on a bypass (limit is 70mph as it has two lanes) I saw on the otherside the driver of a large lorry using a mobile phone with his other hand off the steeringwheel. I.e. using mobile phone and driving dangerously (with no hands).

And once when I was driving into town (limit is 30mph on this road with a time restricted bus lane along parts) I have been undertaken by someone going over the speed limit in a bus lane whilst it was in operation. I could see the driver. She was desperate to get past me, but I always stick at the speed limit along these roads as quite often they do the mobile speed checks. As she went past I saw that she also had a young child in the car.

The Police are saying that there were seven fatalities, and that they have now cleared all the burned out wrecks from the site. There are said to be fifty some injured, and a number of those injuries are life changing (damaged or missing limbs, internal injuries of a non life threatening nature).

Apparantly some vehicles were so badly burned that parts of thier structure were actually burned into the surface of the road, and people witnessed flame as high up as thirty feet. Certainly a terrible incident. The Police are looking into the various possible causes of this crash, including fireworks, fog, surface water, and so on. It is irresponsible and futile to speculate over much about the causes of this crash until that investigation has been completed.

It is also fair to say , that the Police and the emergancy services in general, as well as members of the public, did a bang up job after the incident, in terms of helping those who could be saved. One member of the public was handed a baby by one motorist, and told to get the child to saftey. As he clambered over the central reservation, a car bumper went flying over his head (one assumes that the bumper had been blown , or smashed off another vehicle).

Both emergancy responders , and members of the public put thier lives on the line to save people , and I think that as terrible as this incident has been, the fact that people stepped up and took some initiative is fantastic.

The Fire service, and the Police have been unrelenting in making progress toward making the area safe, and recovering all evidence from the scene. They are hoping to get the road open again by six in the morning tomorrow morning, assuming that any further collection of evidence and resurfacing of the road can be completed in that time frame.

Personally , although the diabolic circumstances of this crash are awful, and my heart goes out to all concerned, I am proud that my fellow Britons got stuck in to help out when the scenario played out. All to often in situations like this, you get looky loos, and little else. That people took it upon themselves to approach the situation with valour and love for thier fellow man is perhaps evidence that there is hope for humanity.

thats the biggest road accident ive heard of in awhile. maybe one day we'll learn to make vechiles that arent prone to blowing up...lol wouldnt that be smart

I see a lot of jerks knee-jerking because of this.
A better attitude is what's needed, not the usual puritan attitudes.

Knee Jerk Reactions?

I suppose I am not allowed to have feelings on this accident? I am supposed to be a sour faced, cold hearted human being like yourself?

I do not think so. Tell you what why don't you go and: Tell that to the families or relatives of those who have killed in this tragedy.

Seems to me your the one with the bad attitude. No one else in this thread.

Ongoing update on the Accident

Police probing the M5 crash which killed seven people have said a bonfire and firework display next to the road is the "major line of inquiry".

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, of Avon and Somerset Police, said he was focusing on the event held on Friday night.

He said "a bank of smoke" was across the M5 at the time of the crash.

The Highways Agency hopes to have the southbound carriageway on the M5 around Junction 25 open by 17:00 GMT.

:

BBC

Sad news. My prayers are with them.