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Original poster

To wonder why so many people crash on a straight stretch of motorway?

132 replies

ColonelBrandonsPiano · 30/01/2024 01:43

After another motorway crash, involving road closures and delays etc, I’m once again wondering how so many people seem to crash on a straight stretch of motorway.

junctions - yes, built up traffic in a city - yes, roundabouts- again yes.

but why motorways? Is it due to lack of familiarity? Tiredness from a long drive? Lack of motorway experience. Absolutely baffles me.

OP posts:
maddiemookins16mum · 31/01/2024 13:27

We were hit from behind on the M4 right by Heathrow, I’ll never forget the noise - and my glasses flew off. We were probably only going at 50mph too - as it was a Friday night and very busy. The bloke just rammed in to us. God knows how he managed it. Car was a write off. Poor DD who was about 10 at the time was terrified.

CormorantStrikesBack · 31/01/2024 13:32

When I learnt to drive I was taught to do a shoulder check before changing lanes due to the blind spot. They don’t teach that now and tell people just to use their mirrors, not sure if that’s an issue

shrodingersvaccine · 31/01/2024 15:00

MurielThrockmorton · 30/01/2024 06:41

I've had a left-hand drive lorry pull out on me as I was overtaking, I guess I was in his blindspot, the car that was about to overtake me slowed down so I could pull out, so the lorry touched the side of my car with a lot of noise, but I was okay. I don't think he even knew he hit me, so I'm now much more aware of not being in their blindspot. I've also had a van push me onto the hard shoulder. And more recently early on a Sunday morning when it was quite quiet I had to swerve around a car that had stopped just past a junction, and I watched in my rearview mirror him reverse down the motorway so he could get off at the junction he just passed!

There was also a thread on here a while ago, about people, not actually physically looking over their shoulder as they pulled out on the basis that they knew where cars were from their mirrors. Cars moving into the middle lane in a three lane motorway from both the inside and outside lanes seems also to have potential for accidents if drivers aren't aware of what's going on in every lane not just the one next to them.

Same, I was written off by a lorry that didn't check its blind spot and pulled into my lane - road was busy and I had nowhere to go so he just crushed the side of my car, idiot. So many people don't check their blind spot, someone else nearly got me as I came off a slip road the other week.

I'm British but learned to drive in Europe and one thing I see here is really slow drivers on the motorway must cause accidents - everyone's trying to get round them or you come off a slip road behind them and nearly end up into the back of them. If you're too scared to drive over 50mph you shouldn't be on the motorway, even if you are sticking to the 'slow' lane. You'd get a ticket for 'impeding the flow of traffic' in most of Europe for driving like that.

Netflixmad · 31/01/2024 15:03

Mostly lack of concentration, not reading the traffic situation, excess speed, messing about in a phone, watching tv on an iPad, painting their nails. I’ve seen all these things on a motorway and they all cause collisions.

ConsistentlyElectrifiedElves · 31/01/2024 15:07

RichardMarxisinnocent · 31/01/2024 06:43

I like the suggestion of a mini quiz. When I was, learning to drive many years ago, a relative who had done an advanced driving course, and drove for a living used to take me out to practice. Every so often he would ask me what car was behind me, to check I was using my mirrors regularly and taking notice of what I saw in them.

Show quote history

My DF was a driving instructor. While supervising me driving one day, he stuck his hand over the rear view mirror and said "what colour's the car behind?". Of course I could have looked in my wing mirror, but don't forget I was inexperienced at this point.

It was an excellent way to prove the point that I wasn't looking in my mirrors enough.

To pick up on another PP point, I'm staggered that people aren't taught to look over their shoulder, if that's true. I have a massive blind spot on my (very small!) car. I generally know what's around me (due to my father's above pesky trick), but will still always check before I move. Occasionally I am caught out by a vehicle in my blind spot, so it's absolutely necessary!

MagentaRocks · 31/01/2024 15:11

ColonelBrandonsPiano · 30/01/2024 01:58

I wonder if a minimum speed limit would help by reducing overtaking. Realistically you shouldn’t need to overtake unless there’s a slower moving vehicle I.e lorry, caravan etc. But often you have drivers travelling much lower than the speed limit, and then also slower moving vehicles in the middle lane who seem afraid to change lanes.
So much safer if we could set the adaptive cruise control, and then only occasionally change lanes.

that wouldn’t work. It is a speed limit not a target. People should, and do drive at a speed that is suitable for the conditions. If there is horrendous rain I go a lot slower than if it is a clear dry day.

it is people not concentrating, overtaking without looking etc that causes it as well as being on their phones, texting etc

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