The danger of the motorway

I would like to make it clear this blog is not about the accident in question indeed it would not be right or proper for me to comment before any official inquiry has been concluded.

However, after seeing the terrible pictures of the wrecked vehicles I could not help but think of the dangers of motorway driving.

With all the vehicles travelling in the same direction motorway driving should be very safe after all the crash barriers on the central reservation should eliminate any possibility of a head on collision.

When ordinary cars alone are involved in a motorway accident surely they would just bump into each other like dodgem cars as they slow down and stop?

Of course the crash tests for most cars are carried out at 40mph which, in my opinion, is far too low.

In a 30mph limit if two cars crashed head on it would give a combined speed of 60mph which is 50% beyond the speed of 40mph at which the cars are designed to protect their occupants.

Maybe its time the crash test speed was raised to at least 60mph or possibly more?

It may surprise you to know that in a head on crash with both vehicles travelling at 60mph, i.e. a combined speed of 120mph, a typical modern car is unable to survive (see link below) indeed it is almost completely obliterated.

Surely the biggest danger of a crash on the motorway comes from the presence of large articulated lorries.

All it takes is for a lorry to end up diagonally across the carriage way and the lorry trailer creates a metal barrier across the road which its impossible for the vehicles behind to avoid.

As lorries are higher than cars the ordinary vehicles simply ram underneath deforming the front of the vehicles and increasing the likelihood of drivers becoming trapped and fire breaking out due to ruptured fuel lines.

To increase motorway safety maybe lorries should be banned from motorways during the rush hour?

Would it not make more sense to transport goods by night freeing up the motorways for the ordinary cars during the daytime?

Of course the ultimate solution would be to move all goods by rail which would be more environmentally friendly.

As far as raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph is concerned I think that's a step too far indeed I would actually like to see the speed limit lowered.

Personally I always try to avoid the motorways where ever possible as they're just too dangerous.

What do you think?

Links: 120mph head on crash test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dI5ewOmHPQ

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