Major traffic incident on M5

[magicOC]

Horrible horrible traffic accident at junction 25.

My thoughts go out to all those involved and relatives of those people who have lost their lives.

Someone I went to school with died in the crash too, I didn't know him well as it's been years since we were at school but it's so close to home and so terrible to hear of all of the losses.

I live a few junctions up from there and was amazed at the mist/fog last night, I could hardly see out of the kitchen window so the roads must have been awful.

Jimmi and Blue . So sorry to hear that.

Hats off to all the emergency service personnel involved on the scene and at the hospitals last night. It can't have been an easy job. Tragically road accidents happen every wk, but, the sheer scale of this was horrific.

To joe blogs who jumped from their cars and tried desperately to save others around them, you are all selfless heros.

And to those who tragically lost their lives RIP

Completely agree magic
Id never met her grandparents, still sickening to hear
blue i am so sorry 4 ur loss. Tho u hadnt seen ur friend in years id imagine it must feel strange & that u r grieving & remembering them. Cant b easy
xx

God it's just horrific. I'm so sorry for those families who have lost someone, and for those in hospital with injuries.
The BBC news has a film of aerial views of the site, and it is shocking.

Sad to hear of the people who died

Bridgwater is holding a one minute memorial tomorrow: we can;t make it (although family still there and we go back for carnival, live away currently as Dh studying). We will be observing it at home though.

And those mergency services and everyday people who jumped in- wow.

So, so awful. I was on that stretch of motorway and hour or so before and the driving conditions were scary. Poor visibility, fog, spray, and still people were going so fast.

Just found out DDs sports coach was injured in the crash, working out how to tell her. My heart goes out to all those involved and their families.

:(

mumdad

I wonder what we can learn from this.

Is it wise for example to carry something like a hammer in the car? In case doors are stuck, etc. so you can break a window?

I hope it isn't insensitive to suggest this. I just feel that something positive needs to come from such an awful tragedy.

Does anyone here know about driving when it's foggy, how to slow down? I was trying to talk ds1 through it today...hazard lights on, slow gradually, make your way to the hard shoulder etc. but can't remember my driving test training at all.

So many people (yes YOU DH) don't think about changing their speed according to weather conditions and safe stopping distances. I did an advanced driving course, and was taught you should be able to look at the car in front passing an "object" road sign or other, and be able to count 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000 before you passed the same object. This obviously works at all speeds and should be increased in bad weather. When I drive on the Belgian motorways there is rarely a gap between cars even travelling at speed. I spot a prang every single day.

porto
I was taught to cite shakespeare in a dramatic voice friends, romans, countrymen. lend me your ears
also, you should slow right down and not try to keep the driver in front in sight (could make them nervous and make them go faster than safe)

I was taught 'only a fool breaks the 2 second rule'; so same as you Porto.

I am staggered at the tailgaiting that I see on UK motorways. It makes me so mad, but inevitable I just pull aside and let the git go past as it's not worth risking my life over a principle.

I live in Taunton and have been in a state of shock all weekend, its horrendous and so scary, I heard the fireworks going off from the rugby club and then heard an almighty bang the weather was abissmal but I have driven on that stretch of motorway in worse and keep thinking there for the grace of God.

It looks as if the copuple who passed were from the city I live in now which adds to the feeling of shock, as we drive that road (Cullompton - Newport) every week at least (carnival club in Cullompton, my family in Bridgwater, home Newport).

I also do the 'only a fool...' thing but I would like to see the system we saw on the Continent this year where speed limits reduced in bad weather. Even if it just makes people notice. We were guilty in the snow though, last out of this part before they closed the motorway. Won't take that risk again. We did keep it down slow though and took 4 times the normal time for the journey.

News is saying smoke from fireworks. However news also said smoke from after-carnival fireworks (squibs) yesterday and they were cancelled because the police were busy at the accident so frankly, will wait and see.

I drive daily on a stretch of motorway that regularly displays those electronic signs saying '50' or '60' or occasionally '40' if there is a hazard ahead.
Does anyone slow down for them? Do they buggery. It makes it dangerous and scary to slow down to 50 when people are whizzing past and cramming up your backside at 80 or 90 miles an hour.

I'm often shocked and horrified by people's dangerous driving on the motorways. No change to driving behaviour at all is made my most people in difficult conditions.

Not meaning to suggest that this contributed to this horrific scenario - but it may have done, we don't know yet. All it would take is one idiot dangerous driver to cause an initial collision then in the fog all the collisions behind happen.

More motorways need speed cameras in my opinion. On stretches where there are regular speed cameras the road feels a lot safer, and the traffic flows better.

I hope that there's going to be a full inquiry into what happened this time.

We live a couple junctions north from Junction 25 and were out and about friday night. When we left our house at 7.15 it was really foggy and I commented to my OH that I wouldn't want to be out and about on a night like that.

Hopefully the police (and highways agency) will find out more from the CCTV footage from the camera that's on that junction.

I was taught by a female driving instructor who told me to get to the limit as fast as possible, and stay there, even slightly over it, in order to show I was making 'satisfactory progress' along these roads.

I never could agree with her. It went against my nature, we used to argue about it.

Now on a dual carriageway (I don't do motorways) I tend to try and find a nice big lorry to go behind - not close up, but maybe a few seconds behind - and that way, I get to do a nice comfortable 50 or 60 while everyone else zooms past in the fast lane.

It means I can sort of hide with the lorry's restricted speed and they always have to go round lorries anyway so no one gets shirty with me and starts tailgating.

That's the worst thing - having someone behind you, so whatever happens ahead you just can't slow down.

The whole system sucks ass frankly. I really do think motorways ought to be for large vehicles only, at a restricted speed of around 50 or 60, no little cars - they should have their own roads, without lorries. It all wants consolidating properly.

The lorries are what caught fire. They are very prone to it, they get incredibly hot and their insulating materials are incredibly flammable, particularly the refridgerated ones.

I saw a programme about a fridge lorry that caught fire in a tunnel in Switzerland and so many people died.

If there hadn't been the cars, the other night, very few people would have lost their lives - I believe at least 6 were in the cars.

Grim!

I was watching the carnival with my friends and family, a little tipsy and just generally enjoying myself.

I keep thinking back and imagining all that suffering and terror going on just a mile or so from us. Makes me feel sick TBH.

THank goodness the death toll wasn't higher. Bad enough but it could have been so much worse.

We were literally 5 mins ahead of it North bound.If I'd have dithered getting everybody in the car so we left 5 mins later it could have been us.Dp and I have been feeling so incredibly lucky all weekend. Our thoughts are with the families and the victims.

It's strange though as we've driven in far worse fog,wetter conditions etc.There were a few wafts of firework smoke but not a lot,I commented on it saying it must be fireworks. People weren't driving that fast either. The smoke/fog must have really billowed up just behind us I guess.

Have you spoken to the police? I wonder if they would be quite interested to help them build up a really comprehensive picture iyswim.

I feel desperate for the families of those who died and the 50 or so in hospital with various injuries or in a coma. The whole situation sounds horrific.

I also feel for the organisers of the firework display who are under a criminal investigation re the smoke. Hate the blame culture in this country - Tragic accidents do occur and are just that. We would never do anything if we had to think of all the remote possibilities connected to exact weather conditions and wind directions. Really hope they don't end up in prison convicted of corperate manslaughter.

The whole issue is not one of speed but about safe travelling distances and travelling in bad conditions.

i think the whole issue boils down to making sure that drivers have the necessary skills. I have come from a non-eu country and for a smallish fee I have exchanged my licence for a UK one. No-one has ever made sure that I have any fundamental understanding of UK signage, speed limits or laws. I really don't know what 60mph or 70mph 'feels' like as my licence was done around a town and in Kph - I am not alone and there are a lot of foreign drivers on the roads!

Yes I feel terribly sorry for the fireworks organsiers - can't imagine having the blame for something of this magnitude laid at your feet.