Following recent articles concerning motorway closures during road traffic collisions, I would like to point out the following.
Forty years ago, I was driving along the A55 near Holywell (before it became a dual carriageway) when an HGV emerged from my right off a café car park.
I took this vehicle sideways for 50 yards causing mayhem. There were no fatalities, but serious injuries. The road was closed for seven hours, but the investigation by the police and the Department for Transport resulted in a prison sentence for the HGV driver.
My wife was also involved in a serious fatality on the A449 near here. Again, the road was closed for four hours for a thorough investigation.
If anyone has had such an experience, or more importantly, has been directly involved, the memories never leave you. Probably, David Parry has been fortunate in this respect[routeone/News/November].
Furthermore, his vehicles being unable to move has two aspects. Firstly, if the incident happened within a few minutes in front of you, then there is no escape.
Secondly, we always check our route carefully before setting out in case of such major incidents. We do not, under any circumstances, use satellite navigation. Alongside Driver CPC, this is one of the most useless items for any coach driver.
The other tactic we use is to avoid certain motorways on certain days or times. The M6 is a prime example which we avoid frequently between Birmingham and the M62, but to be rather conceited, I do have 53 years of PSV experience. It always amazes me how many drivers have little or no knowledge of the country’s roads.
To be very blunt, what was a coach doing on the M6 if it was going to Holyhead? Perhaps the couriers on board should be trained in how to use a road atlas which would be of great benefit to the driver, instead of operating the video.
Name and address supplied.
