I can only imagine that Alan Payling has not had to sit in stationary traffic for up to five hours on a motorway, as our coaches have on several occasions.
The TV programme The Crash Detectives, featuring the two accidents Mr Payling refers to, did not take place on a motorway – and it is very unlikely that an elderly woman, a pedestrian, or a cyclist would be involved in a motorway incident.
The fact is that the suffering of hundreds (if not more) of people, isolated on a closed motorway with no toilets, medication or food for adults, children and animals, is not acceptable.
The cost of missed flights, missed ferries, missed hotel meals, missed events and missed meetings is always going to be huge. All we are suggesting is that, with the technology available today, a crash scene can be recorded and dealt with within a reasonable amount of time.
Even if traffic has to be turned around to exit the motorway, there should never be a reason to put people through such a horrible experience.
In Germany, accidents are sorted and cleared in a very reasonable amount of time. We have years of experience of all such situations in many countries.
For the many who have had to suffer a motorway closure without any information, I am sure you will understand that there should be a time limit of endurance.
We have every sympathy for anyone involved in an incident, and every possible care should be taken – but there must be a modern-day solution to stop such serious suffering to all those trapped for hours… even if it means arranging more emergency exits on motorways.
Dave Parry
Cheslyn Hay
