OT: Motorways

[R D S]

Most of my longer journeys involve the M65 or M6 Northbound of Preston. Reports of accidents/incidents causing closures and delays are an almost daily occurrence.

I don't travel very often but when I do i'm concerned that a 1-2 hr journey could take several times that if i'm unlucky and as such i'm mindful to avoid them where possible. Because I hate being trapped, not knowing how long for. At least on a road you can change route or even turn around and go home.

Anyone else suffering the same or is it particularly shit around these parts?

[Martin Brown]

Most round trip journeys I do over a couple of hundred miles we get one major crash incident being cleared up along the way. Last weekend it was a read end shunt of two HGV's northbound on the A1 near the M18.

Closed the road for most of the afternoon but was clear again by the time we were going back late evening.

Traffic would flow a lot faster if the rubberneckers on the opposite carriageway didn't all slow down to take a good look at the carnage.

Satnav will warn you and if you set tell me alternatives if journey time increase by more than 20 minutes will offer you old roads if you wish.

They are all pretty much of a muchness. Strange route to Richmond - I'd have thought M62 A1 might be shorter and faster. Depends on time of day.

[R D S]

I love Google's Sat Nav for this (i've not managed to get the one built into the car to do it live).

I was heading for SW Scotland once and as we were nearing the border it took us off the motorway and along a nearby parallel road i'd never have known existed and we sped along watching miles and miles of stationary traffic to the right of us.

[JNugent]

The one in the Beemer does that:

"You are being re-routed because of traffic conditions".

[Jeff Gaines]

I don't need to do much motorway driving nowadays which is a good thing as, like you, I hate being trapped. Same applies to lifts, the underground, the overground nowadays since you can't open the doors and, of course, planes.

Stick to country lanes where you can get out and have a pee behind a tree when necessary!

[alan_m]

So does the one in my Ford Focus.

[alan_m]

But usually trapped behind a HGV with no change of overtaking.

[R D S]

I think the one in our car does if it's tethered to a phone. But i've never bothered.

[ARW]

TMH was impressed I told him I managed to fill an old 2l diet coke bottle whilst driving on the M1.

[Robin]

Do you get an apprentice to hold it for you?

[ARW]

I have just 6 spent weeks driving 75 miles to North Yorkshire everyday - the last 12 miles of which are country A roads.

I had three small hold ups on the way back home due to accidents on the other side of the carriageway and one (that had just happened in the RHL on my side of the carriageway). They all added about 15 minutes to what should be a 90 minute journey.

Never had a real problem until the last two days when the A1 was closed on the way to work. As one was near Wetherby and the other near Leeds - I knew how to get past without Google maps. Had this happened much further up North I might have had more trouble as Google reported neither of the closures.

[williamwright]

I used to come off at Wetherby and go up the parallel road all the way to j49.

Bill

[ARW]

That is what I did on one of the A1 closures.

[Bob Eager]

Not the bottle, obviously.

[The Natural Philosopher]

You need to feed the under bonnet horses.

[NY]

I remember driving a removal van (a hired Luton) up the A1 and my wife saw reports of an accident that was causing stationary traffic just ahead. I managed to get across into the left hand lane and to leave at one of the Wetherby junctions, go on the parallel road (maybe the original A1 route) and rejoin just north. Good thing, because it was closed for several hours.

When we lived near Leyburn for a year and my wife was working in Leeds, she'd often use the parallel single-carriageway road from north of Ripon to Bedale if there was any hint of slow traffic on the A1. I remember the A1 had lane closures and 50 mph speed limits for about a month during resurfacing work, and it was a *lot* quicker on that road (with a theoretical maximum of 60) than on the A1 dual carriageway with a maximum of

50 and often slower traffic than that. Shame that the route between north of Ripon and the Thirsk turnoff is so tortuous: I've done it when the A1 was closed, and you need a satnav because it's not signposted.

[Brian Gaff]

I don't think you are in any way alone. I often listen to local radio around S London and M25, M4 and many other motorway like roads seem to have problems, usually it seems due to people not driving appropriately or by people doing daft things in rain snow fog low sun angles causing multiple pile ups. Now I cannot criticise, since I've never had enough eyesight to drive, but from what people tell me, there is simply not enough thrust given to motorway driving before they are let loose on a motorway or in poor weather. I think speed, even speed within the limit, is a thing many do not understand. They feel safe in their little boxes, but the reaction time and how close you are to the car in front and how long it takes for 1.5 tons of metal to stop in different weather conditions seems to be little known. Another issue is HGVs driven half way across Europe and after a short stop to cross the channel, they are still tired and mistakes occur. It seems that although no doubt good drivers normally there is a problem with drivers who come out of places like Poland as one gets the feeling they are being pushed to work more than they should for safety.

These are just observations, second hand from the traffic reports, as I say, but one other thing that people often do is stop and rest on the hard shoulder to catch 40 winks. This is a dangerous place to stop unless the vehicle is just not going to carry on, and yes, there should be far more exits to a safe haven in some places, since often the gap between services and off ramps can seem interminable when fatigue sets in from people I have spoken to. Brian

[Andrew]

Or in Devon trapped head-on by a Grockle down from London in their massive SUV or camper van, who doesn't appreciate the need to reverse back into a passing spot (if the one they passed is nearer than 'yours').

[R D S]

What I notice and what makes me think, "yeah, that will do it" is the asshole way people will risk life and limb to be 3 cars further forward...

For example, you see the countdown markers for a junction, you move to the left, you are a safe (ish) distance from the car in front but d*****ad after d*****ad passes you on the right then cuts into your path moments before it's time to come off.

I often find myself in a position where there is someone up my arse while I can't leave a safe space in front because people keep entering it.

And yes, weather.... I'm not a cautious driver, I probably teeter over the line into 'bad' driver territory but the speed at which some people pass me whn it's hammering down is terrifying.

If I was in charge there would be a mandatory custodial sentence for causing a crash on a motorway through deliberately poor driving.

[Animal]

I do think the madder driving incidents should result in enough years of driving ban to give people a chance to grow up.