A46 accident

[The AV Tech]

Just saw this & wondered if the owners were on here? A sad day for them, as I read it there was no one injured.

 

[Swifter]

That’s awfully sad . So glad nobody was hurt.

 

[Landy Andy]

The driver of the car that hit it has some questions that he needs to answer

 

[dryad]

flippin' 'eck..

.

 

[Debs]

Heartbreaking but so pleased that no one was hurt.

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[Podney]

It’s not as if the van was taking up much of the road. Maybe car driver was on the dog and bone.

 

[DBK]

A good reminder to us all to put out a warning triangle and if you carry two as anyone going to Spain should put both out with the one nearest the vehicle sticking out into the road. I'm not referring to the incident in the OP, I've no idea if they had one out, but it's easy to think you only carry a warning triangle or two because of legal requirements outside the UK and forget you can use them here.

 

[Landy Andy]

If they didn’t see a 3mX2.5m big white plastic box, I doubt they would have noticed a warning triangle.

And isn’t Spain just about to ban warning triangles, going instead for a yellow roof mounted flashing light.

 

[DBK]

If you put the warning triangle in the road they will notice when they hit it. And flashing lights sound like a good idea. The most effective lights I've seen are strobe lights which I've seen on emergency vehicles in Germany. They are really hard to miss.

 

[MisterB]

drivers have been even known 'not to miss' a stationary big red box and blue flashing lights ......

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[Kirsten]

Heartbreaking - looks like a much loved vintage van and horrifying how much damage! Wonder I’d the car broadsided the van as whole of front of car not just LG’s caved in .

 

[The Wino]

I hope that the police are investigating the car driver it could easily have been a lot more serious.

 

[carolyn]

On our way to Stratford last week we saw a few breakdowns on the motorway. One was a Dad with his young son, they were sat on the barrier road side! Another they were on the verge but “downwind” of vehicle and there was no barrier. This was the M5 northbound.

 

[Bustup15]

A shocking accident!

On a more lighthearted note, how did the emergency services know the motorhome had just arrived from Europe and was carrying refugees?

 

[Wack]

On our way to Stratford last week we saw a few breakdowns on the motorway. One was a Dad with his young son, they were sat on the barrier road side! Another they were on the verge but “downwind” of vehicle and there was no barrier. This was the M5 northbound.

People are stupid

Years ago I saw a car broken down on the A580 in lane one , he hadn't even tried to make it to the 15ft wide grass verge , it was raining so they were all sat in it , him, wife, 2 kids in the back

I went to Leyland, came back and they were STILL IN IT !!!!

I was amazed they weren't dead

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[carolyn]

Nick has always been paranoid about it. When he was at Uni one of his friends broke down on a motorway and sensibly got out of his car and waited up on the embankment but wasn’t experienced enough to think about waiting upwind. To be honest I don’t know how many of us would have thought of it at 20 and 45 years ago. His car was hit by another vehicle and it crashed into him fracturing his pelvis , femur, ribs plus internal injuries. He was lucky to survive. Having said that he committed suicide about 10 years later and the long term consequences of his injuries were a contributing cause.

 

[gerry mcg]

as a serious point, is there any merit in having orange flashing strobes (as in as you see on slow loads etc) that are more visible than just blinking indicators for a situation like this?

 

[DBK]

as a serious point, is there any merit in having orange flashing strobes (as in as you see on slow loads etc) that are more visible than just blinking indicators for a situation like this?

Anything which is unusual will help. The brain and eyes work in mysterious ways and the eyes see less than you might expect because the brain fills in a lot of the gaps with what it expects to see rather than what it actually there.

This is one reason why cyclists shouldn't normally ride in the gutter because motorists tend to look straight ahead and are looking for other vehicles. The cyclist on the periphery of sight isn't expected and the brain may not register it.

 

[Puddleduck]

I am so sorry for the owners of the motorhome.

The car driver will be asked some difficult questions I am sure ...... the motorhome is almost the size of a bus from the back - how can one NOT see it?

It is reassuring that the cab area appears pretty much intact - and where any rear seats may be also relatively uncrushed if on the nearside but if they were on the offside another matter.

If you are stationary due to break-down (or other reason) it's so important to be out of the vehicle and away from it - one reason I hate going out when I am not well as getting a wheelchair bound person out of a vehicle and to a safe place is almost impossible.

Another vote here for stobe break down lights.

 

[Conal]

Having been driving with my lights on on the M11 as the Hale-Bob comet passed overhead on a cloud free evening watching a SAAB drive straight through me I also don’t understand how vehicles aren’t seen. The SAAB driver said he didn’t see me and I believe him.

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[Eggs]

Anything which is unusual will help. The brain and eyes work in mysterious ways and the eyes see less than you might expect because the brain fills in a lot of the gaps with what it expects to see rather than what it actually there.

This is one reason why cyclists shouldn't normally ride in the gutter because motorists tend to look straight ahead and are looking for other vehicles. The cyclist on the periphery of sight isn't expected and the brain may not register it.

It's right about the eyes and the brain, some people will see what's in the image below, some people won't. Once you have seen it you can't unsee it.

 

[Tombola]

And remember to turn yoru steering wheel to the left when getting out so if you are shunted, it tends to roll away from the road.

Lost my Dad in an RTA when we were together on a motorway maaany moons ago when I was just a boy. You'd be surprised what people "cant see". I often think back and think, how come? but it happens

DBK warning triangle idea is the best, once they hit a flimsy object especially at speed, they soon wake up. Put it a long way back so they have time to steer away

 

[sedge]

Well - I can see something a totally different colour than the 'brickwork' - grey rather than the warmer shade of pinky faded tan sort of colour of the wall, which appears to have 2 nostrils, a downturned mouth and one eye - but what the scale of the photo is hence what the 'crittur' might actually be is probably best I don't know in view of your warning - so I'm perfectly happy for you to not tell me and remain in happy ignorance or say, no not that, you blind old fart !

 

[Tombola]

Well - I can see something a totally different colour than the 'brickwork' - grey rather than the warmer shade of pinky faded tan sort of colour of the wall, which appears to have 2 nostrils, a downturned mouth and one eye - but what the scale of the photo is hence what the 'crittur' might actually be is probably best I don't know in view of your warning - so I'm perfectly happy for you to not tell me and remain in happy ignorance or say, no not that, you blind old fart !

think "king edwards" or "hamlet"

 

[gerry mcg]

Well - I can see something a totally different colour than the 'brickwork' - grey rather than the warmer shade of pinky faded tan sort of colour of the wall, which appears to have 2 nostrils, a downturned mouth and one eye - but what the scale of the photo is hence what the 'crittur' might actually be is probably best I don't know in view of your warning - so I'm perfectly happy for you to not tell me and remain in happy ignorance or say, no not that, you blind old fart !

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[Eggs]

think "king edwards" or "hamlet"

It does go to show what DBK was saying, some people just can't see it

 

[gerry mcg]

I've seen that one before, it took me a long time first time

 

[Tombola]

identical sizes centre circles ? ....oh yes they are oh no they're not

 

[Eggs]

I've seen that one before, it took me a long time first time

I've a mate who's convinced me and another mate are winding him up.

 

[Tombola]

I've a mate who's convinced me and another mate are winding him up.

blowing smoke up his ***

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