The widow of a person who was killed in a wise motorway horror crash has renewed her requires the roads to be scrapped after video footage emerged of a near-miss on the identical stretch of street the place he died.
Claire Mercer’s husband Jason, 46, was killed alongside Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, as they swapped particulars after a bump on the M1 close to Sheffield in 2019.
The pair pulled over to change particulars, however as a result of the stretch of street is classed as an ‘all lanes operating’ (ALR) motorway, there was no onerous shoulder in operation. Though that they had pulled over so far as they may, after they left their autos a lorry ploughed into them and so they have been pronounced useless on the scene.
Good motorways are stretches of carriageway the place the standard onerous shoulder is eliminated and is used as a visitors lane.
Mrs Mercer has launched a authorized bid to halt using good motorways, as she says accidents are frequent on these roads.
She has reiterated her calls after dashcam footage emerged exhibiting a car narrowly avoiding a stationary van on the M1 close to South Yorkshire at evening final Wednesday.
Within the disturbing video, filmed at 7:23pm, a driver is filmed cruising behind a automotive on the M1 in South Yorkshire, simply previous the Tinsley viaduct, close to junction 34
Claire Mercer’s husband Jason, 46, was killed alongside Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, as they swapped particulars after a bump on the M1 close to Sheffield in 2019
The digital overhead boards, which needs to be exhibiting the lane as closed, nonetheless inform the street customers to drive at 60mph and provides no indication of the approaching hazard
The overhead indicators on the motorway don’t warn drivers of any stranded autos, however a automotive will be seen swerving a parked van on the final minute. The driving force filming the footage additionally has to swerve late to narrowly keep away from lacking the damaged down car.
Mrs Mercer mentioned solely the truth that it was late at evening and the street was quiet meant there have been no fatalities.
She mentioned: ‘It simply occurs time and time once more, and that is two and a half years after one of the crucial horrific incidents in latest reminiscence.
‘They needed to ship in a specialist workforce to retrieve the physique components from my husband’s crash. Two-and-a-half years later, 1 / 4 of the gear at that junction is just not working, and that video clearly exhibits it.’
A 16-mile stretch of the M1 between junction 32 and junction 35a, close to the Meadowhall Buying Centre, is classed as all lanes operating good motorway.
The onerous shoulder has been changed with emergency refuges, mentioned to be round a mile aside, although in some areas it’s thought that their availability is much much less. Overhead indicators point out the pace restrict and whether or not a lane is closed.
The terrifying recording, taken final Wednesday, exhibits a car driving alongside the M1 at evening
Good motorways are stretches of carriageway the place the standard onerous shoulder is eliminated and is used as a visitors lane (pictured: lethal crash on good motorway close to Sheffield in 2019)
Within the disturbing video, filmed at 7:23pm, a driver is filmed cruising behind a automotive on the M1 in South Yorkshire, simply previous the Tinsley viaduct, close to junction 34.
With out him realizing, there’s a stranded van parked near the central reservation forward of him, which is barely seen within the gloom.
The digital overhead boards, which needs to be exhibiting the lane as closed, nonetheless inform the street customers to drive at 60mph and provides no indication of the approaching hazard.
And because the car approaches, he solely turns into conscious of the blockage when the car in entrance provides a right-hand single, narrowly stopping a head one collision.
Mrs Mercer, who will quickly launch a judicial evaluate following the anticipated findings of the Transport Choose Committee, says that the constructing of good motorways she be halted.
She mentioned: ‘Two and half years in the past, we knew far much less about good motorways. I don’t suppose Jason and Alexandru even knew what a wise motorway was.
England’s motorway community has 13 sections of all lane operating motorways which don’t have a tough shoulder (pictured: Heavy visitors on the M1 ‘good motorway’ in Bedfordshire)
‘I don’t suppose they realised the hazard they have been in, however now we do, but it nonetheless retains taking place.’
She added: ‘It’s heartbreaking. Even the individuals who haven’t been killed — it’s those that are surviving with these accidents.
‘We’re bringing a judicial evaluate towards the federal government to make good motorways banned within the excessive courtroom, however they’ve been ignoring us for six months.’
England’s motorway community has 13 sections of all lane operating motorways which don’t have a tough shoulder. These embody components of the M1, M3, M5, M6 and M25.
Exterior the M25, workers who handle the motorway community don’t have any system of computerized alert if a lone car has stopped in a reside lane.
As an alternative they depend on Midas (motorway incident detection and computerized signaling), which displays visitors movement and picks up on slow-moving visitors that would counsel a stationary car, in addition to 999 calls and calls from the general public.
A median of 26 drivers break down a day on good motorways, in response to authorities figures.