Great heck (selby) train crash

[David Dunning]

20 years ago i could do Truro-York non stop with ease. Now I would never consider doing that distance without a couple of stops, even if they were just ten minutes. I am not sure our motorway network helps much nowadays . When you think about it you can do huge distances without there being any natural stopping points (lights/roundabouts/junctions) Even 20 years ago Bodmin to York was a continuous flow of roads , merging effortlessly on flyovers and unrestricted slip roads. So in effect thats Bodmin to Glasgow/Morpeth at a continuous 70mph, wheels never stoping turning . A huge distance without junctions to keep u alert. And 400 miles on one tank of diesel is easy enough too ..so making time to take a break is even more important in the planning

 

[jon0844]

Cars are also so much smoother and more comfortable that they're almost like beds on wheels.

 

[Zoe]

So in effect thats Bodmin to Glasgow/Morpeth at a continuous 70mph

Not quite, there is a 3 mile single carriageway section east of Bodmin where the maximum speed is 60 mph.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Not quite, there is a 3 mile single carriageway section east of Bodmin where the maximum speed is 60 mph.

I'm the pedant round here....

 

[Eng274]

Given the choice I'd rather be driving for long distances in comfort, than in mild back ache, turning into agony. Don't go for any of that heated seat stuff though, thats a bit too unnecessary, as for the seat massage whilst driving, that's just plain perverse..

Not all cars are living rooms on wheels though, depends what you go for - I prefer big comfy barge-sized saloons myself, couldn't drive for too long in a Fiesta for instance, it's too cramped for me (I'm not especially tall but i have a long back).

 

[jon0844]

Even when I had my Escort Cosworth, with very hard suspension (it was lowered, with low profile tyres) it was still quite easy to switch off on a motorway. As has been said many times, there just isn't enough to keep you highly alert as with other roads.

Still, driving a rally car on a motorway was something you didn't do often. Turning off at the next exit to find a nearby A or B road was always preferable. But, hey, petrol was cheaper then!

 

[bluenoxid]

Should the driver of the train at Southall have been convicted for manslaughter then? Should GWT have been charged for allowing a train to run in service without working AWS? Should Railtrack have been charged for giving priority to a freight train over a train known to not have working AWS?

Should the driver of the Thames Turbo have been charged with manslaughter then if he had survived the Ladbroke Grove crash? Should Railtack have been charged for having the points set by default to route a train onto the up main line rather than the down relief in the event of a SPAD?

Just to remind you that Railtrack would not have been at all culpable for a standard manouvre on a railway line and I do not believe that there would have been a standard method for informing the signalman that a train had no AWS. The driver and GWT would be the ones in court although an RAIB investigation condcuted at the time may have suggested reduced TACs to combat safety issues on trains. Yes I know that the RAIB did not exist then.

I doubt manslaughter would be the preferred method for many of the cases highlighted and that a prosecution under the health and safety at work act would be an easier case to prosecute. Remember that any criminal investigation cannot refer to the RAIB report where it exists as far as I am aware.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

20 years ago i could do Truro-York non stop with ease. Now I would never consider doing that distance without a couple of stops, even if they were just ten minutes. I am not sure our motorway network helps much nowadays . When you think about it you can do huge distances without there being any natural stopping points (lights/roundabouts/junctions) Even 20 years ago Bodmin to York was a continuous flow of roads , merging effortlessly on flyovers and unrestricted slip roads. So in effect thats Bodmin to Glasgow/Morpeth at a continuous 70mph, wheels never stoping turning . A huge distance without junctions to keep u alert. And 400 miles on one tank of diesel is easy enough too ..so making time to take a break is even more important in the planning

Most of the stops that we undertake are for a wee and we can get 500 miles to the tank with a lead weight on the accelerator.