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.

The speed limit wasn't really relevant here - they've said that because the driving conditions were so poor (fog and surface water), motorists involved in the crash were only travelling at about 60mph.

This was a horrible tragedy, but all it takes is one motorway driver to e.g. have a heart attack or a burst wheel to cause an accident like this (I don't mean to suggest that is what happened here, have no idea). A few weeks ago a car flew past me in the fast lane literally on fire, the driver suddenly crossed three lanes of the motorway before jumping out of his car. Had he not been able to cross the lanes so quickly it could have been devastating.

I think some of the focus on the firework display was of the - "this could never happen to me and will never happen again" mindset.

60 in fog and with surface water is inappropriate perhaps. It's only 10 below the limit for cars - lorries are not allowed any faster than 60 anyway. (think that's right? or is it 50?)

But I agree it's possible that there was a sudden onset of dense fog which meant nobody had time to react.

I'm not sure of which mindset you speak, really, but I do think I'd have been going a bit slower if conditions were that bad...having driven at times with zero visibility, subject to what is chasing you you do slow right down or pull over. I've driven down a dual carriageway in the pouring rain before on a motorcycle, with no visor, and could literally not open my eyes fully because of the driving rain. But because I had someone behind me, a friend in their car, I kept going, and really I ought just to have stopped.

That was in my stupid youth when I abdicated personal responsilibity for a brief time.

Now I would pull over and wait for it to clear.

I'm not trying to suggest that the drivers were wrong to be going that fast.

I imagine due to the usual motorway situation, many of them felt unable to slow down appropriately because they were afraid of getting in someone else's way.

This is a major problem with motorways - as long as everyone keeps going at a set speed, it works. But as soon as someone wants to go slower for any reason, it gets very very awkward.

I often drive along 30 roads with someone right behind me trying to 'make' me go faster, and I sometimes feel I am being rude if I don't.

It's ridiculous and so much worse on a motorway where a lot of people regularly expect to go at 90.

I think stopping distance is the issue more than speed, as someone said up the thread. I went on one of those speed awareness courses and the one thing that had stuck with me was keeping yourself safe by keeping your distance.

At 70mph the safe distance is roughly 100m which is the same as the spacing of the little distance marker posts beside the motorway - normally if I leave that gap there are 2 or 3 cars in the same space in the next lane.

I do agree as well with all the comments about being made to feel a nuisance for keeping to the speed limit too!

I know and I really think this is major problem.

When I was a kid I invented this futuristic transport system where everyone went along on rails, but quite fast, and each person had a sort of pod they sat in, like modular vehicles - families could have four or whatever joined together.

It would be great as no one could go any faster than anyone else. But I know its just a stupid idea from a childish perspective and there's no way it would be applicable.

I was a bit of a socialist kid

Absolutely about driving slower: I was driving at 50 last week in bad weather, overtaking LH lane so in middle- massive lorry so close I could not see his bumper, beeping away, could have pulled into RH lane easily enough but just wanted to intimidate me.

We also had a situation last year where cars had stopped for a flood to slow down and a lorry came up behind us, was around a corner so couldn;t see and had to swerve and stop so violently it completely shifted it's load of beer, leaving the driver unable to proceed. had he not though we'd have been history.

People weren't driving too fast.We always drive slow(big old car)so notice fast drivers but it was just normal.There weren't that many cars,the roads weren't that wet,wet yes but not horrendous,the fog was just whispy as was the smoke(nothing major at all).I find it odd to be honest. Will be interested to see what they find out.

Maybe it all suddenly kicked off after we went past but the entire journey was pretty uneventful. Obviously we realise now the latter end of it probably had less traffic on it towards the end due to the crash but honestly it was not a problematic journey prior to the crash.I hate motorways and do get twitchy if the conditions are bad and the roads are stuffed,lunatic drivers but that night it really wasn't that bad.

Obviously other witnesses have said otherwise so it could have all kicked off after we went past but I wonder if they'll find something else out eventually,maybe something with one of the lorries.

Thats the thing though it was an easy cruise with everybody driving at what you would expect for an average night with slightly wet and foggy conditions.I just find it all odd.I do wonder if people are confusing this thick fog/smoke with smoke from the crash.

MrsH police are asking that too

but we were in bridgwater when we saw fog so too far for that

Tonight the drive home was so much calmer than last week. People were generally going slower and leaving bigger gaps between cars. I think everyone on the M5 tonight was thinking much the same thing.

Inevitable though to an extent as carnival (not us, we are without a float wrgh) in Wells tonight so away from M5