Accident on Snake Pass 20/03/09

[DT Ralge 10]

Boringly sensible, I know ...

 

If you know that sheep live on the road they are a predictable hazard and their existence ought to be a reason to dampen down one's enthusiasm (Plan B) to get to the next queue of vehicles at the next hill/bend, at Glossop or Mottram.

 

On any road, too many drivers fail to see the bigger picture, drive with blinkers on, see a bumper and think "it must be overtaken."

 

On the Snake where there aren't too many escape routes, Plan A (do not be delayed by anything) executed without flexibility and in an unthinking way gets drivers into bother all too easily.

[alchresearch 214]

Is there a minimum speed limit on The Snake? It's a picturesque road so you can't blame people for wanting to take it steady and enjoy the sights, especially at weekends. Or even walkers looking for a suitable little nook to park up. It's a long walk from the "official" parking areas by the reservoir.

 

Providing they've paid their road tax, insurance and fully road legal they have every right to be on the road as the racer who needs to be in Manchester - or should that be the queue of traffic at Mottram Moor - at a certain time.

[firsteuro 10]

Is the speed limit enforced on the snake, ie speed cameras or regular patrols?

[buck 11]

I regularly drive that road on my way to Warrington and it never ceases to amaze my the lengths some drivers will go to to save 30 seconds off their journey.

 

Last night for example someone decided to overtake me and the 2 cars behind me on one of the straight sections and ended up on the wrong side of the road on a blind bend at 60mph, well into the solid white line.

 

No doubt if they had crashed into someone they would have blamed them or me for doing a measly 50 on a very dangerous road. No doubt they would survive as well, as only the innocent die young. I personally value life, my two kids and the wonderful scenery more than testing my driving skills because "Clarkson showed how to do it last night"

 

When this happens I vow to drive the road even slower next time and admire the view even more - if that annoys people, then tough...

 

Speeding drivers on that road are total tools...and value nothing...when they grow up they might...

I wonder how many crashes Top Gear causes in the UK.I guess most of the cars they show off can only be bought by footballers and the like.

[singo 10]

Is the speed limit enforced on the snake, ie speed cameras or regular patrols?

 

Yes.

 

They are often enforcing the speed limit on the only bits where overtaking the slower moving drivers can be safely executed.

[luxs 10]

Is the speed limit enforced on the snake, ie speed cameras or regular patrols?

 

Speed camera van was spotted on the road near the end of Ladybower reservoir, so be careful in this area.

[DT Ralge 10]

Is the speed limit enforced on the snake, ie speed cameras or regular patrols?

 

All the time I have spent on the Snake over the last 30 years I can't recall ever seeing a police car.

In many parts of the Snake the road itself is the regulating factor for most drivers.

[singo 10]

Seen 'em myself a few times last year.

 

Never saw them once before the limit was reduced to 50 mph.

[alchresearch 214]

Seen 'em myself a few times last year.

 

Never saw them once before the limit was reduced to 50 mph.

 

Me either. Now they sit on the couple of long stretches where you can overtake - one just after the area where they had the landslip (coming from Manchester) and it dips towards the bend where the river and farm is.

 

The other is the long stretch of straight road where the reservoir begins to form.

[Chucka 10]

Just to clear things up - He overtook two cars at once, my Jag and a "Scenic"(?) in front of me - I think he was doing 75-80, and I know he was overtaking on a blind (trees) right hander, just after the "car park", at the bottom of the hill east of Doctors Gate. He j-u-s-t got in front of the Scenic, then he clipped th Land-Rover. My first thought was "**CENSORED**..., but he's just made it..", as he cut in. Then (about 0.5 of a second later) -KaBoom-

 

I'm glad these two guys are OK.

I drive this route twice a day, 5 days per week, early morning and early evening. In the last year I have seen people overtake on blind bends multiple times. On one occasion, a young guy decided it would be ok to overtake me and the car in front on a blind bend on the ascent towards the Strines turn off. I had the same feeling described by Tonyem as I watched a car appear in the opposite lane (the driver is probably still shaking today). Luckily he JUST managed to cut in.

 

I HATE the people that drive like this. Can you imagine how you would feel if you overtook on a blind bend and took out a family, but you survived? It just isn't worth the risk. It terrifies me that I could literally be driving round a bend one moment, and ploughing head first into an overtaking vehicle the next. I've seen so many crazy incidents on this road that this fear seems far from irrational.

[alicefaye123 10]

hello i was just wondering if snake pass is when u come off the round about just after the pub on your way into derbyshire. me & my friends wer going past there in the car & saw the car upside down just to the left of us on the grass. one of the lads didnt seem hurt but i hope to god nobody did.

 

alicefaye x

[steveh 10]

The snake pass is the a57 that runs from crosspool to glossop. I can't think of the name/number of the road you mean but know it and it isn't the snake.