What this incident does demonstrate is the fatal flaw in the ludicrous strategy, which is becoming increasingly common on our M-Ways, of using the hard shoulder as a running lane. I have to say I find it beyond belief that the highways authorities are so concerned with 'traffic flow' that they think it preferable to leave anybody who breaks down or has to stop for any reason to take their chances in three or four lanes of 70 mph+ traffic. It was only a matter of time before this sheer stupidity led to a serious accident. Had the hard shoulder been available as a refuge area, as it should have been, there would have been no problem, let alone a fatal collision. I'd like to see the driver and victim's solicitors get the Highways Agency in court for gross negligence quite honestly :roll:
As for the Driver's actions, I agree that it would have been prudent to remove passengers from the vehicle, however that in itself doesn't constitute dangerous driving. If it transpires that the bus was in fact in lane one rather than the hard shoulder, then the driver was absolutely correct not to move anybody anywhere. Reports seem to differ on this. Fog lamps should have been in use of course, but in all honesty if conditions were that bad they would have made little difference. The lights fitted to a vehicle of that age would not have been overly bright, and the vehicle itself would have been as good as invisible, being as it was all over white. The hazard lamps would also have offered little protection. The best hope would have been that any approaching drivers would have heeded the advice we are told was displayed on the matrix boards, which I would presume were offering a "Stationary vehicle in carriageway" message or somesuch. Whether the trucker was proceeding with sufficient caution will be looked at in some detail I would imagine. Sadly, motorways and fog will never mix :cry: