> Lancashire Police were left stunned on Saturday when drivers on the M6 abandoned their vehicles to play football and head to a nearby service station after a **short traffic jam** closed both sides of the motorway. When it was re-opened, many of their vehicles were still stranded in the middle of the road.
> But **within minutes** of the holdup, motorists got out of their cars, with children reported to be running around, while adults playing football in the middle of the road.
Next development: people start doing this when they are waiting on red lights I guess.
CandidSalt9547 on
What probably happened is one family did it, which meant a bunch of other people thought it was acceptable and that one family knew something they didnt about how long the traffic jam would be.
limeflavoured on
Leaving your car on the motorway without good reason is illegal, so I’d hope any that did are fined.
Longjumping_Stand889 on
We’re clearly on the verge of a societal breakdown, people have realised that the only person enforcing the rules a lot of the time was themselves.
SurreyHillsSomewhere on
“And then once we all got going there was nothing to see; there was no information”
Pabus_Alt on
>”Unbelievably a number of motorists abandoned their cars and went into the services, with many crossing to the opposite side of the motorway. The motorway was not closed for a significant time and the incident was resolved very swiftly, with the individual in question being arrested for Aggravated Vehicle Taking, driving while unfit through drink/drugs and disqualified driving.
Sounds like a case of “cops not communicating well”
Could have been fixed with someone driving down the closed lane with a loudhailer telling everyone how long the wait was going to be. – or even just saying “We are closed for an hour, be back in your car by X time”
FinalSample on
A lot of the time these people don’t account for emergency vehicles and motorcycles trying to get through. Super risky to have kids running around between cars but this often happens.
Anaksanamune on
M3 was fully closed on Friday evening, 2 hours, no movement. Of course people were getting out of their cars, it’s wild to think otherwise…
I don’t think people should be abandoning cars, but the rest of the stuff isn’t that unreasonable.
Easy to criticise if you’ve never been in the situation.
Commercial-Silver472 on
Depends what the police are classing as a “short time” here. Hours isn’t short.
HotMachine9 on
Reddit detectives in the comments are insufferable.
Should you abandon your cars. No. But this jam wasn’t exactly short, it was 2 hours in high heat. I don’t think it’s a reasonable decision but I can’t understand it.
0235 on
“police have slammed motorists” police need to start taking licences away.
MRRichAllen1976 on
These idiots should be forcibly removed from their driving licence IMO
WastelandWiganer on
I got stuck for 6 hours on the M6 on a scorching hot day a few years back, I reckon it was 2 hours before people got out of their cars. A butty van about 200 yards ahead of me did a roaring trade selling their entire stock of ice cream and drinks and I sat reading a book in the central reservation.
When they finally cleared the wreckage the police helicopter flew down the motorway telling people to get back in their cars.
J---O---E on
We criticise people for playing football during a traffic jam yet we celebrate the people who did it no man’s land during World War One. I know which one I think is more dangerous.
Lad_From_Lancs on
“and to await instruction or direction from the Police or National Highways”
But how are they going to do this? There is no mechanism to update individuals in traffic what the situation is. Radio news or traffic reports only go so far if you are lucky to catch one but give 0 indication as ti how longs things will be.Â
There needs to be reassurance that the jam will be either x long and there is no need for remediation, or they need to consider operations such as closing the motorway a junction 2x before and allowing those stuck to u turn.Â
I appreciate that the main priority will be those at the very front in what ever predicament they find themselves in, however there will be plenty of people who will be stuck with their own needs (other than reaching the destination)
True-Horse353 on
Depends where on the M6 this took place, if it was on the smart motorway that would be okay because it’d be two a side, but if it was on the three lane bit it would be an imbalanced match.
elliomitch on
Bunch of dickheads. If I came to a closed road anywhere I’d sit there in the car patiently until it opened, be it 10 mins, 2 hours or 3 weeks.
17 Comments
> Lancashire Police were left stunned on Saturday when drivers on the M6 abandoned their vehicles to play football and head to a nearby service station after a **short traffic jam** closed both sides of the motorway. When it was re-opened, many of their vehicles were still stranded in the middle of the road.
> But **within minutes** of the holdup, motorists got out of their cars, with children reported to be running around, while adults playing football in the middle of the road.
Next development: people start doing this when they are waiting on red lights I guess.
What probably happened is one family did it, which meant a bunch of other people thought it was acceptable and that one family knew something they didnt about how long the traffic jam would be.
Leaving your car on the motorway without good reason is illegal, so I’d hope any that did are fined.
We’re clearly on the verge of a societal breakdown, people have realised that the only person enforcing the rules a lot of the time was themselves.
“And then once we all got going there was nothing to see; there was no information”
>”Unbelievably a number of motorists abandoned their cars and went into the services, with many crossing to the opposite side of the motorway. The motorway was not closed for a significant time and the incident was resolved very swiftly, with the individual in question being arrested for Aggravated Vehicle Taking, driving while unfit through drink/drugs and disqualified driving.
Sounds like a case of “cops not communicating well”
Could have been fixed with someone driving down the closed lane with a loudhailer telling everyone how long the wait was going to be. – or even just saying “We are closed for an hour, be back in your car by X time”
A lot of the time these people don’t account for emergency vehicles and motorcycles trying to get through. Super risky to have kids running around between cars but this often happens.
M3 was fully closed on Friday evening, 2 hours, no movement. Of course people were getting out of their cars, it’s wild to think otherwise…
I don’t think people should be abandoning cars, but the rest of the stuff isn’t that unreasonable.
Easy to criticise if you’ve never been in the situation.
Depends what the police are classing as a “short time” here. Hours isn’t short.
Reddit detectives in the comments are insufferable.
Should you abandon your cars. No. But this jam wasn’t exactly short, it was 2 hours in high heat. I don’t think it’s a reasonable decision but I can’t understand it.
“police have slammed motorists” police need to start taking licences away.
These idiots should be forcibly removed from their driving licence IMO
I got stuck for 6 hours on the M6 on a scorching hot day a few years back, I reckon it was 2 hours before people got out of their cars. A butty van about 200 yards ahead of me did a roaring trade selling their entire stock of ice cream and drinks and I sat reading a book in the central reservation.
When they finally cleared the wreckage the police helicopter flew down the motorway telling people to get back in their cars.
We criticise people for playing football during a traffic jam yet we celebrate the people who did it no man’s land during World War One. I know which one I think is more dangerous.
“and to await instruction or direction from the Police or National Highways”
But how are they going to do this? There is no mechanism to update individuals in traffic what the situation is. Radio news or traffic reports only go so far if you are lucky to catch one but give 0 indication as ti how longs things will be.Â
There needs to be reassurance that the jam will be either x long and there is no need for remediation, or they need to consider operations such as closing the motorway a junction 2x before and allowing those stuck to u turn.Â
I appreciate that the main priority will be those at the very front in what ever predicament they find themselves in, however there will be plenty of people who will be stuck with their own needs (other than reaching the destination)
Depends where on the M6 this took place, if it was on the smart motorway that would be okay because it’d be two a side, but if it was on the three lane bit it would be an imbalanced match.
Bunch of dickheads. If I came to a closed road anywhere I’d sit there in the car patiently until it opened, be it 10 mins, 2 hours or 3 weeks.