"Stopped in the fast lane"

[Horse]

'Blame' is often suggested as a major block for learning.



This guy says that the truck was stopped in the fast lane, without even hazard lights and no cones out.

He's clipped it hard enough for his airbags to go off, then been rear-ended by an hgv (which, presumably, he had swerved in front of).

No hazards? Have a look at the rear illuminations ... Then look on front (visible when he walks to the cab), crew putting out cones.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Not that related to the OP but...

Several years ago I was involved in a multi car shunt on the M1 in the fast lane. For about 5 minutes I was 'trapped' in the fast lane with 4 other (broken) stationary cars. I had to stand in between the middle barriers watching loads of cars come screaming up, even with out hazards on people didn't really notice until the last minute. I really didn't know what to do!

Luckily the highway patrol turned up pretty quick in their Range Rovers and shut the carriageway for a couple of minutes so we could all get on to the hard shoulder, but what are you meant to do in that situation?

[Rockburner]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

[Horse]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

Every year, just on Highways England roads, 30 - 35 every year get clattered (some on the hard shoulder).

[Rockburner]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

Every year, just on Highways England roads, 30 - 35 every year get clattered (some on the hard shoulder).

seriously?

[slowsider]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

SMIDSY

There's rarely a stationary obstruction in the right lane; people aren't expecting it.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's probably not a case of "not seeing" and more a case of "not realising that the truck isn't moving". Humans are funny like that.

[Horse]

Luckily the highway patrol turned up pretty quick in their Range Rovers and shut the carriageway for a couple of minutes so we could all get on to the hard shoulder, but what are you meant to do in that situation?

1. Find religion
2. Pray that religion 'works'

Serious answer:
- As you did, and if you can, get out ASAP.
- Between barriers is good (if you can get over them and there's not just a single concrete barrier) - but note that steel barriers are designed to deform up to 2m.
- Counter-intuitively, go 'upstream' ie towards oncoming traffic. Yes, you're at risk from those vehicles, but it would be insult on injury to be run over by both an approaching vehicle and your own one.
- Stopped in any live lane like that justifies a 999 call
- Be very very careful about trying to cross live lanes to get off the road. Traffic @ 70 is doing about 30 metres per second. You need to allow 3s per lane, so you could be looking a long way upstream.

[Horse]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

Every year, just on Highways England roads, 30 - 35 every year get clattered (some on the hard shoulder).

seriously?

Industry details here:

https://www.trl.co.uk/publications/auto ... ks-process

[Horse]

It's probably not a case of "not seeing" and more a case of "not realising that the truck isn't moving". Humans are funny like that.

Yup. That's why the Traffic Officers and emergency services often park at a 'fend' angle, an extra visual clue that the vehicle is stopped.

[Horse]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

SMIDSY

There's rarely a stationary obstruction in the right lane; people aren't expecting it.

True.

That said, those trucks are almost 5m tall and usual have strobe lights aimed down the road and a 2.5m diagonal arrow flashing. And a 2.5m 'keep left' sign. And beacons. And retroreflective markings.

Here's one I took earlier.

IPV crop.jpg (65.88 KiB) Viewed 968 times

Plus, there would have been:

1.1 mile - 'workforce in road' sign with flashing light
1 mile - 'men at work' sign
800 / 600 / 400 / 200 'wicket' signs showing lane closed

[MingtheMerciless]

Having worked on the railway for 30 years, about 20 of which have been trackside, our old place of safety (it’s all changed about a month ago) was 4 ft from the nearest running line up to 100mph line speed and that was on occasions “worrying” so what it’s like on the central reservation with cars that are not on rails and can go where they like I dread to think.

Incidentally tools and equipment had to be 6Ft from the nearest running line so you know what the railway placed more emphasis on preserving.

[slowsider]

Sorry - but how the fuck do you NOT see one of those trucks.... Blackpool isn't lit up as much.

SMIDSY

There's rarely a stationary obstruction in the right lane; people aren't expecting it.

True.

That said, those trucks are almost 5m tall and usual have strobe lights aimed down the road and a 2.5m diagonal arrow flashing. And a 2.5m 'keep left' sign. And beacons. And retroreflective markings.

Plus, there would have been:

1.1 mile - 'workforce in road' sign with flashing light
1 mile - 'men at work' sign
800 / 600 / 400 / 200 'wicket' signs showing lane closed

And yet, 30 - 35 a year get hit, apparently.
So its about more than signing and lighting.

[Tricky]

'Blame' is often suggested as a major block for learning.

...........

Indeed- not he's not what most would classify as a big thinker , he is a minor celebrity apparently though in some circles....

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... s-19319797

Nice

[Nordboy]

Sam Walker has a very ‘colourful’ past (and present i’d suggest).

In other words, he’s a total criminal wanker! He’ll never learn any lessons.

[JackyJoll]

Will surely make you lose your mind.

[KungFooBob]

Will surely make you lose your mind.

Glad it's not just me.

It's been stuck in my head since I first saw the thread title.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's been stuck in my head since I first saw the thread title.

It wasn't in mine until just now.

[Horse]

And yet, 30 - 35 a year get hit, apparently.
So its about more than signing and lighting.

Indeed. We're open to any reasonable suggestions on what to try.

Obviously the ideal would be the eliminate and reduce elements of ERIC.

For isolate, as you can see in the video, the crew were installing a lane closure 'taper', so the impact protection vehicle was providing that isolation. That method is called 'upstream'. Some prefer a 'downstream' method where the ipv follows the cone truck as the cones are placed along the centre, then the crew walk back (the taper is 135 m long) and 'walk' them out into the lane.

So that's what he would have hit.

Here's a lane 1 closure going on:

Taper placement.jpg (16.21 KiB) Viewed 922 times

For 'E', hinged, swing-out, taper barriers exist, are to be tested soon (Hindhead Tunnel, IIRC), which would form the initial closure.

[Slenver]

That Sam Walker seems like a nice man.

Only loosely related, but I had an incident once while riding a rented Harley in the States. Was coming into LA on some 8-lane freeway when the bike just ground to a halt in about 50 feet. Turns out the sleeping bag I'd tied to the back had come loose and got caught in the drive belt, rapidly chewing the whole thing up and jamming fast. The first 10 seconds were a blur of truck horns and tyres screeching and I was left abandoned in lane 3 I think, my mate not having seen what happened and going off for another mile. One lorry did actually pull up and block lane 1 for me, but he also refused to get out and help ("I'm not gonna fucking die for you"), so I had no choice but to laboriously drag the bike with a locked up rear across t 3 lanes and just try to ignore the 80mph traffic going both sides of me! Was a little stressful.

Highway Patrol eventually turned up, but he didn't do anything to help either, just waited on the hard shoulder for me. His only contribution was to let me have a knife to cut the sleeping back away with.