motorway tuition -
Many times, since this campaign started, the
Department of Transport has said that they believe motorways to be our
safest roads. This view is supported by statistics which prove that more
accidents happen on urban roads than on motorways. Quite true, the roads
are safe, the problem, this campaign believes, is the drivers on them.
So, let's consider this issue from another angle.
A crash on an urban road, in general, involves one or two vehicles, with
damage to the vehicles and possibly some personal injury too. However,
when a crash occurs on a motorway it can be a completely different
story. Let's look at some examples...
Britain's worst motorway crash on record happened in 1985, on the M6 near to Forton (now Lancaster) Services, when 13 people were killed and many others injured after a coach and ten other vehicles collided, bursting into flames.
On September 7th 1987, the Guardian newspaper carried a report of an accident the previous week-end, only 20 miles from the scene of Britain's worst accident (above). This time 8 people where killed and another 8 were seriously injured in an accident involving a mini-bus and 2 cars.
On October 28th 1987, just after 1 p.m., 12 people were killed and 6 injured when a diesel tanker collided with at least 6 other vehicles, causing what was described as a huge fireball. This time the scene was the M61, about a mile south of the junction with the M6. Although a 30 mph advisory speed restriction was in force, due to a lane closure further north, police said that traffic approached the narrowed section much too fast. It took fire crews over six hours to disentangle the wreckage. The total cost of this one accident may have been as high as £4.5m (source: Guardian newspaper - 30/10/87).
On March 13th 1991, another of Britain's most horrific motorway accidents happened on the M4, between Membury Services and junction 14. Here, 10 people were killed and many others injured, with nearly 50 vehicles (including many large lorries) completely destroyed. All three emergency services were tied up for several hours.
On March 10th 1997, in no less than six separate incidents involving 160 vehicles on the M42, 3 people died, 21 were seriously injured and a further 83 were slightly hurt. In one accident on the southbound carriageway between junctions 2 and 1, 88 vehicles were involved, resulting in one person dead, 11 seriously injured and another 52 slightly hurt. It was approximately 6:40 a.m., there was extremely dense fog and many drivers were travelling far too fast for the conditions. A second accident occurred on the other side of the motorway when "rubber-necking" drivers slowed to gaze at the horror. This time over 30 vehicles where involved in what has been described as "twenty minutes of terror". The investigation into these accidents took over 12 months to complete, with a total of 584 statements being taken. (photos: West Midlands Police and Birmingham Post & Mail).
On 14 December 2001, a report in the "Independent" newspaper tells us that the M25, London Orbital, is the most dangerous and congested motorway route. According to statistics released by the travel data company Trafficmaster, over the previous month 68 crashes caused a record 85 hours of hold-ups and queues on the 117-mile motorway. While in the same month there were 49 serious crashes on the M1 and 48 on the M4. Other particularly congested routes included the M8 in Glasgow and the M62 in West Yorkshire.
On 29 December 2001, a stretch of one of the UK's busiest motorways was closed after crashes involving 40 vehicles brought traffic to a standstill. Two people were injured as a result of the collisions, which led to police closing part of the northbound carriageway of the M6 in Cheshire. Motorists were forced to leave the motorway at junction 16 before being allowed to rejoin at junction 17. A Cheshire Constabulary spokeswoman said that their advice to motorists in the area was to avoid that part of the M6 and find an alternative route, but a senior officer warned that drivers themselves carried a burden of responsibility when it came to safer motoring.
On 23 August 2002, thousands of bank holiday motorists were left stuck in jams after three major road crashes in 15 minutes on a short stretch of the M4 motorway. One vehicle cart wheeled 12ft down an embankment at junction 17 near Chippenham, Wiltshire, at about midday. Just 15 minutes before that, a caravan had jack-knifed and blocked all three lanes on the eastbound carriageway at junction 15. Minutes later, a BMW driver on the westbound carriageway, looking at the accident, smashed into another car. The motorway was closed for nearly three hours while wreckage was cleared.
On 11 June 2003, five people died in an 11-vehicle pile-up, involving a military tank transporter, near to junction 19 on the M1.
On 10 July 2003, seven people were killed when a minibus, towing a trailer, crashed on the M56 near Manchester airport.
option or necessity?
the analysis.
When one of those incidents occurs it involves massive financial claims for vehicle loss, loss of goods, man-hours etc. All the emergency services are occupied for many hours and then, when everything is cleared, the road surface may have to be replaced, causing even more disruption and cost.
The Department of Transport report, published in the Guardian newspaper on October 30th 1987, suggested the following...
The average cost of a fatal accident, (inc.costs of police and ambulance involvement, lost output and damage to property) = £299,840
-
Notional cost of pain, grief and suffering...
Fatal accident = £145,134
Serious injury = £18,182
Slight accident = £1,686
Damage only = £652
None of these figures took into account the huge costs of delays to other road users.
In the same report we are told that in 1986 lost output amounted to £860m, with ambulance and hospital costs adding a further £150m, damage to vehicles and property amounting to £1,170m, police, insurance and administration £160m, and notional grief and pain costs amounting to £1,470m.
In 2003, the accident cost to society increased to...
-
Fatal = £1,424,155
Serious = £167,783
Slight = £16,721
Every time these incidents occur the same questions
are asked;
1."Who was to blame?" and, more importantly,
2."Why won't they learn?".
I believe the answer, at least to Q.2, to be very simple; "Because they
don't have to!".
Many people face driving on these roads unable to
cope with unusual conditions and situations, i.e. A young lady, first
time on a motorway, found herself in the right hand lane of a three lane
carriageway after overtaking slower traffic. She then drove along, for
miles in the same lane, simply because she was unsure of the correct and
safe way to return to the left lane. Police eventually spotted her,
looking terrified, and helped her return to the left lane!
Until we make motorway training compulsory, the public will continue to
think that learning to drive is just a "right of passage", to be gained
as easily, quickly and cheaply as possible.
Unfortunately the lesson is often learned too late, as the person asking
the questions is invariably the Coroner.
At Learn-2-Live we believe
that motorway tuition is not just a voluntary option, it has got to be
an essential part of driver training.
