Todays M1 pileup

I had a very unpleasant experience on the M1 today, well actually it started on the M25.

Just after 2pm there was a heavy rainstorm with lightning in the area near the M1-M25 juntion. It was raining heavily enough to impair vision, and there was a great deal of spray, so I ended up sitting in Lane 1 at around 50mph.

Whilst doing this and when about to turn of onto the slip road onto the M1, I was deliberately tailgated by a (empty) car transporter who took exception to the five second gap I was maintaining in front of me. (I have said before that a 1 second gap for every 10mph of your speed will enable you to stop comfortably without emergency braking which could induce a skid in conditions like today's).

I have had the argument many times that the 2 second gap suggested by the Highway Code is inagequate at any speed over 20mph, and been shouted down many times, but today it was brough home with a vengeance. I am probably still alive to write this only because I do so.

The argument usually advanced is that no vehicle can stop dead, so as long as you have enough thinking time (and 2 sec should be enoug) you will be able to avoid the vehicle ahead if it slows or stops.

Despite this, and despite this afternoon's conditions, there were plenty zooning past me in the outside lane, often whith not even a 1 second gap let alone two. This despite the risk of aquaplaning on a road that was running with water.

A few miles further on I was in lane 2, following a small car which in turn was following a lorry at about 50mph, things had improved a bit but there was still a lot of spray about and I couldn't see much beyond the lorry despite my 5 second gap.

Then the "impossible" happened. The lorry stopped dead. I don't mean braked, I mean piled into the back of another lorry, which turn had hit another. In all there were about 20 to 30 vehicles involved, and I could see no sign of it until the lorry suddenly stopped. Hitting a pile of stationary wreckage, even in a mbuttive HGV can cause it to stop pretty quickly, much faster than your brakes will stop you for sure. So much for the 2 second gap theory!

The guy in the small car ahead of me stood on the brakes and just managed to stop in time. The ten got out of his car and straight onto his mobile phone, presumably the emergency services. I was able to stop quite comfortably, and so were those following, thanks to my 5 second gap. I feel fully vindicated.

When I fanally managed to sqeeze past in lane 1 it looked as though the problem had started in Lane 3. Perhaps someone aquaplaned and lost it, causing others to panic brake, perhaps slewing or swerving into lane 2. But I'd be guessing.

This accident was totally unnecessary and was I am certain caused by bad driving. People were driving too fast and too close for the conditions, although it is possible they were within the speed limit, so the speed cameras that they will probably try to justify on the basis of this and other similar "accidents" will not make things any safer.

I might have saved lives today!

Martin

-- Created on the Iyonix PC - the world's fastest RISC OS computer.