Pensioner dies driving wrong way down M1 (http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Pensioner-dies-driving-wrong-way.3551423.jp) - Nothing to do with the bloody stupid traffic island that divides the traffic for no reason at the top of the J35 sliproad which he has probably confused as a road junction and kept left of it and headed the wrong way down the M1? :rant:

Pensioner dies driving wrong way down M1 (http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Pensioner-dies-driving-wrong-way.3551423.jp) - Nothing to do with the bloody stupid traffic island that divides the traffic for no reason at the top of the J35 sliproad which he has probably confused as a road junction and kept left of it and headed the wrong way down the M1 :rant:

Have similar accidents happened here before?

It's only just been installed in recent weeks.

It's certainly a pointless island (as is the one further down towards Chapeltown which they're building at the entrance to the new sea of mud); I hadn't thought about it till now but someone could mistake it for a roundabout exit, you could be right. You'd think he'd have noticed pretty quickly on the way down onto the motorway though, and stopped and turned round before reaching it. Or at least turned and gone the right way at the bottom.

Why is it always a pensioner who ends up driving the wrong way down the motorway?

Of course the spouse or relatives make the inevitable statement along the lines of "He was perfectly OK to drive ...... Even though he was 104, had one eye and his left arm was immobile he was fit to drive". I'm sure that the oncoming traffic was a bloody great hint that something wasn't tickety boo!

I'm guessing that at 12:30am he hit the first car that he saw.

Mod note:

A guy died this morning chaps - can we show a little respect? There's a chance that family and friends may be reading.

Pensioner dies driving wrong way down M1 (http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Pensioner-dies-driving-wrong-way.3551423.jp) - Nothing to do with the bloody stupid traffic island that divides the traffic for no reason at the top of the J35 sliproad which he has probably confused as a road junction and kept left of it and headed the wrong way down the M1? :rant:

awww my sympathy to the mans family r.i.p

satman2222 :huh::huh: ?? i don't think you can blame it on the road layout its all marked and signposted!!

Nothing to do with the bloody stupid traffic island that divides the traffic for no reason at the top of the J35 sliproad

Nope, nothing to do with it I'm afraid.

Pensioner dies driving wrong way down M1 (http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Pensioner-dies-driving-wrong-way.3551423.jp) - Nothing to do with the bloody stupid traffic island that divides the traffic for no reason at the top of the J35 sliproad which he has probably confused as a road junction and kept left of it and headed the wrong way down the M1? :rant:

he allegedly entered at meadowhall travelling north on the southbound direction so th traffic island at the top of the slip road as had nothing to do with this incident and further the dedicated slip road to turn left is a great improvement IMO alot of slip roads now have this type of filter when approaching a left turn when coming of the motorways

A doctor is the only one who can make the medical judgement that an individual is no longer fit to drive. It's not up to his relatives to take an elderly person's driving license and car away from him/her!

What a horrible accident.

he allegedly entered at meadowhall travelling north on the southbound direction so th traffic island at the top of the slip road as had nothing to do with this incident and further the dedicated slip road to turn left is a great improvement IMO alot of slip roads now have this type of filter when approaching a left turn when coming of the motorways

Not according to the Star article quoted - he was going southbound on the northbound carriageway, and hit somebody going north. So it was on that side of the motorway with the new island at the top of the sliproad.

My condolences to his family anyway, however it happened.

A doctor is the only one who can make the medical judgement that an individual is no longer fit to drive. It's not up to his relatives to take an elderly person's driving license and car away from him/her!

What a horrible accident.

I wonder how many people would be saying "horrible accident" if he'd survived and the innocent driver of the other car had died.

Gary Hart got ten years for causing deaths as a result of dangerous driving, and all he did was fall asleep. No deliberately going somewhere that he's not allowed to go.

Any reason to think it's not an accident?

Any reason to think it's not an accident?

It's an accident caused by a wilful and blatant error by one party. Thankfully, he only caused his own death and nobody else's.

Not according to the Star article quoted - he was going southbound on the northbound carriageway, and hit somebody going north. So it was on that side of the motorway with the new island at the top of the sliproad.

My condolences to his family anyway, however it happened.

Yes - the Northbound M1 is covered in orange spray paint between J34 and J35 and the police were taking photos at that very slip road junction at 1:30pm this afternoon.

My deepest sympathys but I think that O.A.Ps should be made to re-take a driving test at least once a year.

Can't see how it happened. Not very nice though.

My deepest sympathys but I think that O.A.Ps should be made to re-take a driving test at least once a year.

I'm not sure how logistically possible it is, but I think everyone should be made to take a re test every 5 or 10 years regardless of age.

I've only bee driving about 15 years and the difference I have noticed is unreal, so anyone who passed their test 20+ years ago must be in a whole new world unless they drive daily.

As for the accident, surely when you see a car coming towards you on a motorway you stop or pull over. There are 3 lanes to go at...

I think it is a very sad incident, obviously the man got confused and unfortunately paid the ultimate price.

On a seperate note, but relavant, i do feel that Opticians should be allowed to ban people from driving if thier eye sight deteriorates, i think it is ludicrous that someone can go for a test and the optician "advises" that they no longer drive, but cannot enforce it. :huh:

I think it is a very sad incident, obviously the man got confused and unfortunately paid the ultimate price.

On a seperate note, but relavant, i do feel that Opticians should be allowed to ban people from driving if thier eye sight deteriorates, i think it is ludicrous that someone can go for a test and the optician "advises" that they no longer drive, but cannot enforce it. :huh:

I am not sure but I think opticians have a facilty to inform the DVLA if they consider your eyesight is dangerous to drive this is why they ask if you are a driver when you have a eye test I may be wrong. But if I am someone will correct me

I did post yesterday that it always seems to be a pensioner, but it got removed.

Anyway, to back it up, here are some other incidents of it happening:

Cumbria, Oct 07, aged 82
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7067916.stm

Northamptonshire, Dec 04, aged 80
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/4125857.stm

London, Jan 98, aged 87
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/44346.stm

Leicestershire, Aug 06 (age no specified on this site)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4777617.stm

Hampshire, Feb 02, aged 86
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1802373.stm

Tyneside, May 06, aged 86
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4994506.stm

Lanarkshire, Dec 06, aged 84
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4571450.stm

Any reason to think it's not an accident?

I wondered that as well. I won't go any further into it though as it could be conceived as insensitive, especially if I'm wrong. :)

No doubt, it's very sad for all concerned. My sympathies to the families involved.

However, someone who doesn't realise they're going the wrong-way down a sliproad (let alone the motorway itself) should not be allowed to drive on the public highway.


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