M4 Closed

[Burbler]

Between 17 & 18.

Diversions in place prob until 'afternoon'.

[BB]

Probably worth avoiding the whole area :(

16 Sept 2018, 5:31AM (first reported)
M4
Road closed, rolled Over Truck, fuel Spillage, queueing Traffic, detour in operation.
Road closed and queueing traffic due to rolled over truck and fuel spillage on M4 Westbound from J17 Stanton Saint Quinton Roundabout (Chippenham) to J18 A46 (Bath/Tormarton). A Milk Tanker has overturned and is currently being drained by a replacement tanker before recovery can take place. The road is likely to remain closed until late this evening to allow emergency resurfacing works

[Scotty]

Have to ask, how is it possible to turn over a truck on a motorway? The curves aren't that tight... people should pay more attention when they're driving instead of messing around on mobile phones or falling asleep....

[Badger-Roy]

Have to ask, how is it possible to turn over a truck on a motorway? The curves aren't that tight... people should pay more attention when they're driving instead of messing around on mobile phones or falling asleep....
As an ex truck driver I can answer that question, by car drivers cutting into the safe breaking/stopping space you have carefully left between you and the car in front, then when you need to stop fast your only option is to swerve to the side causing your truck to skid out. I never turned a truck over but on two occasions I was very close and both times were caused by that exact scenario.

[WR6133]

people should pay more attention when they're driving instead of messing around on mobile phones or falling asleep....

Thinking back just over the last 6 months, destruction caused by my fleet almost always boils down too

Mobile phone usage (this is the #1 by a very big margin), mostly on bigger dual carrigeways and motorways when the truck is plodding along on cruise control and driver gets bored. Real trucks (class 1) almost all have bluetooth these days so we are talking internet and SMS not voice calls.

Inexperienced drivers (industry has a manning crisis, with most firms a licence with wet ink still guarantees a job), usually stuff like bridge strikes or minor bumps while reversing/junctions/lane changes.... they tend to forget the height or underestimate the length.

Car drivers doing dumb ****, wedging in to gaps, overtaking dangerously or just plain old not looking and driving in to the truck (which is so common it's almost funny).

#1 by a long, long, long shot though is phone usage.

Falling asleep is pretty rare these days. It's harder than it was in the past to run properly bent and ignore drivers hours to cause that level of fatigue and most tractor units made in the last 3 years have various warning systems if they detect the unit drifting from the lane or getting too close to whatever is infront, some of these warning systems make rape alarms seem unobtrusive, some of the latest ones are active so will brake or correct the truck.

The UK allows double deck trailers which are a ridiculously dangerous, stupid invention that cause alot of accidents as well (rest of the EU does not allow them). They are inherantly unstable, mobile hazards which account for the majority of trailers you see tipped over on the road, or wedged under bridges. A real case of putting profit over safety.

[Badger-Roy]

The UK allows double deck trailers which are a ridiculously dangerous, stupid invention that cause alot of accidents as well (rest of the EU does not allow them). They are inherantly unstable, mobile hazards which account for the majority of trailers you see tipped over on the road, or wedged under bridges. A real case of putting profit over safety.
Could not agree with you more on this, double deck trailers are in my opinion the worst things to be let loose on the roads ever, there is nothing safe about them, you only need sneeze and they become unstable. Iv never met a driver that enjoys pulling them. Even more so when they are loaded badly. Oh and double decks on windy days.....need I say more.

[WR6133]

double deck trailers are in my opinion the worst things to be let loose on the roads ever

Agreed.

I suspect if the general public were more aware of just how much damage, havoc and accidents can be attributed to them, then we would see them banned.