On Sunday 12th January I was driving round the M25 going anti-clockwise from the M11. Shortly after the A10 junction there was a heavy build-up of traffic with a sign advising a lane closure, but not indicating which lane was closed. After some minutes crawling another sign indicated that the nearside lane (of 4) was closed. The traffic was slowed up even more by vehicles moving from the 4th across the other lanes, compounded by traffic joining the motorway. There appeared to be no reason for the congestion, until after about 20 mins we saw a car stopped in the 4th lane with hazard lights flashing; no rescue vehicles were in attendance and the car was some way short of the next refuge. Very shortly afterwards the congestion eased and the traffic started to move freely. After some miles the signs indicated that the 4th carriageway was open.
There appeared to be no other reason for the delay than the car stopped on the carriageway, and the inadequate warning signs.
I experienced a similar incident on the M3, returning from the West Country, in November last year. Fortunately I have not witnessed any tragic accidents,, but it isself evident that more will occur until this system is abandoned and the hard shoulders re-instated.
it must have been terrifying for the occupants of the stopped car to be stopped in a live lane in such dense traffic, the situation on its own hampered the rescue vehicle getting to them, imagine if there had been an emergency and the needed an ambulance to get through that traffic!
On Sunday 12th January I was driving round the M25 going anti-clockwise from the M11. Shortly after the A10 junction there was a heavy build-up of traffic with a sign advising a lane closure, but not indicating which lane was closed. After some minutes crawling another sign indicated that the nearside lane (of 4) was closed. The traffic was slowed up even more by vehicles moving from the 4th across the other lanes, compounded by traffic joining the motorway. There appeared to be no reason for the congestion, until after about 20 mins we saw a car stopped in the 4th lane with hazard lights flashing; no rescue vehicles were in attendance and the car was some way short of the next refuge. Very shortly afterwards the congestion eased and the traffic started to move freely. After some miles the signs indicated that the 4th carriageway was open.
There appeared to be no other reason for the delay than the car stopped on the carriageway, and the inadequate warning signs.
I experienced a similar incident on the M3, returning from the West Country, in November last year. Fortunately I have not witnessed any tragic accidents,, but it isself evident that more will occur until this system is abandoned and the hard shoulders re-instated.
it must have been terrifying for the occupants of the stopped car to be stopped in a live lane in such dense traffic, the situation on its own hampered the rescue vehicle getting to them, imagine if there had been an emergency and the needed an ambulance to get through that traffic!