I finally got around to watching the 'Panorama' on this. Confirmed that Grant Shapps is a professional waffler.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000dtqv/panorama-britains-killer-motorways
The was a short interview with a lorry driver who ran into a stopped car, killing a young boy. His account was that the lorry ahead of him changed lanes suddenly and he was confronted immediately by the stopped car with no time to avoid it. He obviously didn't really believe he was responsible for the accident.
It's obvious that it will happen that way if the lane isn't closed, because lorries have always run nose-to-tail; and it was obvious before the first smart motorway was created, if only somebody had dug their heels in then.
The distance between refuges obviously makes things worse, but is essentially a red herring and an excuse Mike Penning who signed off the original implementation.
The programme started with a recording of an emergency call from a man broken down in a live lane with a carload of five including children. The call was terminated by the stopped car being hit from behind.
|
