Are there more partial...

Are there more partial or total motorway closures than ever before, or is it just me? I’ve been caught up in countless total shut-downs lately, and in my experience it’s usually commercial vehicles, rather than cars, responsible for the road-closing havoc. Take 9 June. It will possibly be remembered as the worst and most frustrating day in the M25’s history. Tens of thousands of people, me included, were trying to get to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Stansted airports en route to England’s opening World Cup game in Germany. But the ‘authorities’ (more about these mysterious agencies on another occasion) chose to totally shut down the four lanes of Heathrow-bound carriageway I was using.

After taking an achingly slow diversion, on hopelessly inadequate neighbouring streets, I was allowed back on the M25 for another few miles... before being turfed off again – this time on to local streets which were hindered by roadworks with crude stop/go lollipops. The guys operating these temporary signs didn’t know it at the time, but it was largely their decision who would get to Heathrow in time for the flights to Germany, and who wouldn’t. Frantic calls to the airline I was using revealed that although I had an expensive club class ticket, it wasn’t fully flexible, so there was a major question mark over whether I could board a later seat. I gave up. In my pocket I had a much sought after England vs Paraguay ticket, but the closures of the motorway were preventing me from getting to the big game.

Apparently, a lorry that caught fire was responsible for the clockwise and anti-clockwise closure of the busiest motorway in Europe. I believe the HGV was responsible for ruining the travel arrangements of thousands of travelling fans, and may well have caused many of them to miss part or all of a rare World Cup opening game experience. Drivers were endangered as fast-moving motorway traffic ground to a violent halt. Their vehicles were subjected to increased wear and tear. Extra fuel was burned, exhaust emissions increased and pollution levels worsened.

Time was wasted, stress levels rose, people missed job interviews, hospital appointments, flights, exams, wedding ceremonies, funerals... you name it. This particular lorry wasn’t the first and won’t be the last to cause utter mayhem on an important motorway at a sensitive time. So who picks up the tab for all this? Who should reimburse innocent drivers like me for the additional expense they incur? And who should compensate us for the lost time, misery and inconvenience that we’re subjected to?

I have answers. Invoices should be sent by individual drivers to the haulage company operating the guilty truck. In turn, the company should pass on all claims to its insurance company, with copies to its solicitor and its relevant trade association. If complacent and guilty hauliers know that they can expect thousands of legitimate compensation claims from drivers after their journeys have been wrecked by faulty lorries, these trucking companies might ensure that their vehicles are fit for purpose in future. And while they’re at it, they could also invest in some extra safety/accident prevention training for their drivers. These truckers need to learn how to identify and deal with potential problems before their vehicles break down, lose their wheels, shed their loads, turn over or catch fire on motorways.