M1 Still Closed

The Muppet

That must have been a pretty bad accident on the M1 this morning . The road is still closed 4 hours later.

Dub13

It was a car pile up.

MrPudding

Not much detail: http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1107/rta01.html

Bloke arrested on the spot.

MrP

The Muppet

MrPudding wrote:

Not much detail: http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1107/rta01.html

Bloke arrested on the spot.

MrP

According to a relation that has passed the scene there were 3 cars involved . Two of them were extensively damaged and had the roofs and doors removed by the emergency services. The accident happened on the southbound carriagway just north of the Airport turn off. Its just at the end of 70 mph limit there. The vehicles were still there at half 3. thats five hours after the accident. Most unusual.

ando

I seen 3 cars being removed, looked like one of them was a focus and the roof was either cut off by the emergency services, or the car rolled cause the roof looked like it caved in. I was told the guy that was arrested was reaching for his mobile which had fallen onto the floor of the car, lost control and went across to the other side of the motorway ... glad to see the chicken wire is working

BrianD3

One of the cars (a silver one with the roof cut off) looked like a Skoda Fabia -hard to tell though. The other car that was heavily involved was a Focus and most of the rear end of it was torn off. Obviously it was a pretty high speed crash.

BrianD3

trotter_inc

I drove up north along the M1 last night at about 6:30 and the traffic was backed up as far as Balbriggan!!! Couldnt believe it - it must have caused hours of delays for people heading south on the M1!

Praetorian

I was delayed myself last night, it took me 1 hour 15 fifteen minutes to go from Balbriggan to Swords. I saw the marks on the road where the guy had crossed over, no barriers there of course.

Dingatron

Passed it going northbound at 14:30 yesterday. Looked pretty bad. When are they going to put proper barriers up on the M1?

Seth Brundle

It is amazing though, when you see the remains of the cut up vehicles that nobody was killed.
How the driver managed to cross over puzzles me. The fact that they were arrested on the spot means that they really must have been messing behind the wheel!

Dub13

kbannon wrote:

It is amazing though, when you see the remains of the cut up vehicles that nobody was killed.
How the driver managed to cross over puzzles me. The fact that they were arrested on the spot means that they really must have been messing behind the wheel!

If he was I hope they through the book at him.

Seth Brundle

I caught the headline in the herald and apparently (assuming I read it right), he was leaning down to retreive a fallen mobile phone!

ando

kbannon wrote:

he was leaning down to retreive a fallen mobile phone!

ando wrote:

I was told the guy that was arrested was reaching for his mobile which had fallen onto the floor

Echo echooo


I see the government are finally considering putting barriers up now, as when the new bypass was opened today near moneristavin (right spelling?) they informed the press that all new major roads are to have barriers, and current roads including M1 may have them installed

ToxicPaddy

ando wrote:

Echo echooo

I see the government are finally considering putting barriers up now, as when the new bypass was opened today near moneristavin (right spelling?) they informed the press that all new major roads are to have barriers, and current roads including M1 may have them installed

I dont think thats by choice..

I remember reading somewhere that the EU has come down hard on Ireland for breaking some regulations about the motorways here not having proper safety features in place to stop accidents like that..

It even mentioned the EU going as far as refusing to provide anymore funding
for roads already planned until the proper safety measures have been put in
place on existing roads..

Maybe someone can find a link somewhere about this..

Tox

Seth Brundle

just got reading a bit more of the herald front page - apparently the tosser who caused the accident had been reaching for his phone, lost control and caused the accident. He subsequently legged it until the gardai nicked him!
not being judgemental or anything but hang the bastard!

mike65

kbannon wrote:

apparently the tosser who caused the accident had been reaching for his phone, lost control and caused the accident. He subsequently legged it until the gardai nicked him!
not being judgemental or anything but hang the bastard!

Its just as well personal fire-arms are illegal!

Mike.

unkel

kbannon wrote:

How the driver managed to cross over puzzles me

Chicken wire is deemed a robust and sound safety barrier for motorways here by the same authorities that provide a driving license for anyone that is capable to fill in a form :rolleyes:

jesus_thats_gre

There is no barrier on this section from memory!!

narommy

unkel wrote:

Chicken wire is deemed a robust and sound safety barrier for motorways here by the same authorities that provide a driving license for anyone that is capable to fill in a form :rolleyes:

The chicken wire and hedging provides no barrier function whatsoever, and the NRA has acknowledged this several times. It isto screen against headlights in the opposite direction.

Toxicpaddy, afaik there are crash barriers on all roads which would require them under EU laws. The medians of most irish dual carriageways and motorways are wider than those requiring crash barriers under EU law. The EU money for roads is drying up because we are judged to have enough to built our own roads.

Seth Brundle

I think unkel was being sarcastic!
There is no way that the NRA could say that the chicken wire is a satisfactory way of stopping anything (apart from chickens!)! However, the hedges along most of the stretches are so neglected that they do not provide adequate screening!