It struck me that perhaps it wasn't 4wd and was just rear wheel drive, it was a Mitsubishi, but not sure what type. Shortly after that I got stuck behind someone who was only managing about 12mph on a straight road, I think because they couldn't see too good. I didn't want to, but it was so ridiculous in the end I overtook them, and that guy behind me did the same too, which I thought was a bit brave of them considering what just happened. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

I was driving on the M62 today, on a smart section. There was an obstruction in the lanes so the speed limit was reduced to 50, no lane closures in place. Turned out to be a guy with a caravan changing a wheel!! Last thing id be doing is messing about changing a wheel on a live section of motorway!! Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

Those 'Smart' motorways are only as clever as the idiots who control them.

The signage is not fully automatic, they require humans to watch 'live' cameras and make decisions.


IMHO the lorry was at fault for leaving it TOO late to change lanes, thus giving other road user visibility of the obstruction.


Some MPs are trying to ban the future up-grade of existing motorways, due to HGV drivers (with cruse control on) crashing into stationary vehicles.

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Frightening. Imagine a vehicle at night that's had electrical failure... 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Stevie5tapes wrote:

Last thing id be doing is messing about changing a wheel on a live section of motorway!!

Jules it’s a really difficult decision to make in these circumstances. If the guy had gone another 1/2 mile then there is a hard shoulder on the slip road. There are loads of cameras about on the smart motorways so I would be thinking the operators would have seen the caravan and put a red X over the lane. As you say, this kind of situation is what happens when you lose a hard shoulder. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46553654


The rollout of smart motorways, where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a fourth lane, should be stopped, a group of MPs says.

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The most hair raising thing in this clip is how late the lorry leaves it to change lane, or even reduce speed.
IF, and a big IF, he was looking out of his windscreen, from that height he should have been one of the first to spot the caravan.

I think we nearly saw a BIG accident.

PS I thought that the careful, considered, well anticipated driving of the camera car (Stevie5tapes) was very good. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Ian I spotted the caravan quite early (it’s visible early on in the footage). The lorry was late in changing lanes, maybe the lorry driver hadn’t noticed the caravan had stopped? I was more gobsmacked by the driver of the caravan being stood behind the caravan as I drove past. I was thinking the guy was in the totally wrong place! Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

I cant tell when the lorry started indicating but it looks as if he had a car alongside stopping him from moving to the right - you can see the car pop into the next lane when the lorry wakes them up.

I find a high percentage of "middle lane drivers " have switched off mentally and just follow the vehicle in front with little situational awareness.
I towed a trailer up the M6 to North Yorkshire this week and back - quite nice to cruise at 60 for a change. However, I was impressed by a mindless Porsche Boxster driver who doggedly sat in the middle lane doing about 50mph - causing a lot of people to get quite irritated and lorries to undertake because, like myself, they cant use the 3rd lane. Jules

Jules
Perhaps I was to hasty in putting all the blame on the lorry driver.
You are right and the cars alongside the lorry must have seen the caravan stopped and realised that they should give some room for the lorry by either altering speed or changing lane.

I always try to not travel alongside another vehicle, by altering my speed, up or down, so that I can move sideways quickly if needed.

Over the years, I have only twice suddenly, and unsighted, come across a car stopped on a motorway carriageway (both in outside lane). Once at night (collision with barrier) and unlit car, and once in daylight, when vehicle in front suddenly swerved, around car with puncture stopped in outside lane.
Both times, even though it during rush hour, I had room to move out of the way. Until something like this happens I don't think you realise the closing speeds on a motorway and how quickly everthing happens.

60mph = 6 car lengths a second 80mph = 8 car lengths per second FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

jules wrote:

Stevie5tapes wrote:

Last thing id be doing is messing about changing a wheel on a live section of motorway!!

But what do you do ?
1) Take the upcoming turn off - but its another M-way by the looks of it (probably with no hard shoulder)
2) Try to get to the next junction (? how far that is) - but travelling slow, hoping a lorry doesnt smash into you.
3) Sit behind the barrier and wait for a AA van, hoping a lorry doesnt smash into your caravan and car
4) Put your Emergency Triangle well up the lane and put the spare on asap - someone keeping watch from the barrier if possible. I presume traffic police would be made aware.

None of the options are particularly great.

But that was the price of losing the hard shoulder

Funnily enough, I once stopped to help a driver close to some traffic lights near me. 30mph zone and traffic slow up to the lights but it was dropping dark. He had total electrical failure so no hazard lights available.

I deployed my warning triangle as he didn’t have one and let him keep it while he waited for the RAC. The plan was for him to drop the triangle off at my house afterwards as he lived local. Unfortunately, some buffoon ran over the triangle! To return the favour of me stopping to help, the guy bought me a new one.

Just shows the point above that there’s no chance of someone seeing the triangle on a motorway if there’s buffoons who can’t even see it in a 30 zone. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

And that was in a 30MPH zone?
SE4X4 Response trained with Kent Police in Lane closure and believe me on a fast duel carriageway you certainly tighten the
sphincte when placing the cones.
Dave DAVE.

Witnessed a car accident today on the M1 at Wakefield. Cant see what happened at the beginning of the video clip as a van is in the way but I learned later that the car had a tyre blow out. Luckily no one was injured. As soon as this accident happened I got my wife to phone the police. Although i've shortened the video clip i'm amazed at how many people thought it was acceptable to wonder about on the motorway while cars were still trying to get passed.

 Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.