[Jimbob335DX]

What the funk ..... Speechless

How is it even possible to go the wrong way, let alone get into the 2 and 3rd lane with out realising theres an issue.

[Rudz]

Both the driver and the passenger on that scooby along with an innocent motorist were killed, definitely a case of someone feeling suicidal?

[Jimbob335DX]

Driver and passenger in their 80's... FFS!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-45878215

[mikeoz]

Unbelievable scary as hell. Surprised more people were not killed...

[Alice Coupe]

Given the outcome Herr August Schmidhuber, bit too soon for that sort of comment.

I watched the video, then read the comments and the news story. The final outcome certainly makes me feel a bit sick.
I could kind of understand if once they got on to the motorway that they would instinctively want to be in the left lane. They probably got on at that junction 100m away. Given the traffic it would probably be very difficult to move back over in such a short distance.

[JD6]

I can kind of understand how an elderly person might get confused and turn down an exit ramp of the motorway, but I can't understand at all why they then continue against the flow rather than stopping. The dashcam video is like something from Mad Max - surely a level of dementia that could make that driving experience seem normal would have already triggered some kind of state intervention?

[Wills2]

Tragic incident, but I cannot understand why you would end up driving down the outside lane towards the oncoming traffic, confused, muddled on the roundabout? I can almost see that but with all the traffic flowing against you on the main carriageway as you proceed down the slip road surely to God you'd stop, but clearly not.

[willjames]

This is ridiculous. How numb do you have to be to continue to drive down a motorway the wrong way!

I think everyone should be made to do a compulsory driving assessment again at no later than seventy years old to prove they still are competent.

And before you all lambast me...I'm not ageist. I'd be happy to have the test too when I'm that old and if I don't pass then I'll hang up my keys and sit in the pub

[Oceanic]

That beggars belief, I'd assumed they done it in the early hours of the morning, how could you carry on against the traffic like that and not realise there is a slight problem and stop

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Jimbob335DX

What the funk ..... Speechless

How is it even possible to go the wrong way, let alone get into the 2 and 3rd lane with out realising theres an issue.

Scary, except he wasn’t in the 2nd or 3rd lane, he was in what he thought was the left hand lane!

[....,,,,..,,..]

It's horrendous.

A good friend and work colleague was killed last year in North Wales.

He had just finished work, driving home and had a head on with another driver going wrong way on dual carriageway.

He was a single father with a young son.

It's just so fucking crazy how these things happen.

[Herr Dreier]

I used to laugh at the big WRONG WAY signs they have in the US. Perhaps they do actually make sense!

[RustyBitz]

Absolutely tragic.

I can't understand how the hell the driver manage to make a tight turn to join a motorway the wrong way and with a caravan on town.

How the hell did they manage to get to the third lane and not notice they are going the wrong way? First thought would be hard shoulder as it's the closest lane from a slip road.

Tragic nevertheless everyone has families.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Herr Dreier

I used to laugh at the big WRONG WAY signs they have in the US. Perhaps they do actually make sense!

If three lanes of traffic speeding towards them didn't help, in this case signs probably wouldn't have made any difference.

The Dronfield by-pass near where I live had a similar fatal head on accident few years ago. An elderly driver stopped in a lay-by half way down. After sitting there for a while he just turned round and headed back the way he came. They've now put direction signs next to the lay-bys to try and stop it.

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by JD6

I can kind of understand how an elderly person might get confused and turn down an exit ramp of the motorway, but I can't understand at all why they then continue against the flow rather than stopping. The dashcam video is like something from Mad Max - surely a level of dementia that could make that driving experience seem normal would have already triggered some kind of state intervention?

Possibly panicked and went into automatic mode. Thought they were keeping left. Read plenty of stories where elderly people have pressed the accelerator into of the brake pedal (particularly in the States with autos). Logic says why didn't they just stop but something takes over.

All I can think of is the sheer terror and panic they must have felt before the inevitable head on. Not a nice way to go.

[Skwirrel]

If you know the junction ahead it is easy to see how someone with poor ability to process what they are seeing could get it so wrong. M40 south bound is the turning over the bridge, the exit slip road from the northbound (Oxford) M40 looks very inviting if you interpret that the sign is directing you down there.

A329
A329, Thame OX9 2JN
https://goo.gl/maps/JuZUBMaXAL12

Still, to get to the bottom of the slip road and to keep going is madness. It was absolute carnage apparently, a friend at work got caught up in it.

Both my parents are in there 70's and their driving has deteriorated significantly since they stopped using the car every day or going very far. In fact my mum has just stopped driving for medical reasons and doesn't feel safe being driven by my dad.

[chris-c]

I think there should be more mandatory tests of elderly folks for driving. I've only ever seen "two" cases of vehicles being driven the wrong way.

Reason I say "two" is because the first one scared the crap out of me.
I was on a dark dual carriageway years ago probably going far far far too fast and there is the shape of a lorry in the distance with its headlights facing me on my side of the road. WTF! Turns out that it was on the back of a pickup truck and the guy left the lorries lights on by mistake!

The next time I was driving on a dual carriageway near southend where two oldies in a Toyota yaris came hurtling towards us. Fortunately the road was super quiet so nothing happened but I came to question myself if I was in the wrong it was so odd.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by chris-c

I think there should be more mandatory tests of elderly folks for driving. I've only ever seen "two" cases of vehicles being driven the wrong way.

Reason I say "two" is because the first one scared the crap out of me.
I was on a dark dual carriageway years ago probably going far far far too fast and there is the shape of a lorry in the distance with its headlights facing me on my side of the road. WTF! Turns out that it was on the back of a pickup truck and the guy left the lorries lights on by mistake!

The next time I was driving on a dual carriageway near southend where two oldies in a Toyota yaris came hurtling towards us. Fortunately the road was super quiet so nothing happened but I came to question myself if I was in the wrong it was so odd.

I agree with you, older drivers should be tested more. I think the families and even the public can be a bit too kind as well, not wanting to hurt their feelings or suddenly make someone housebound.

I found an old lady driver stuck not moving more than half a mile an hour in the middle of a road in Northampton last year. Everyone else was driving round her, even mounting the kerb to do so.

I pulled over to see what was going on. She was 80 plus and her screen, plus side windows, were totally misted up, she couldn't see a thing. She'd had her car in for a service the day before and they'd changed the climate settings. She had no clue how to change them back and she was literally driving blind. I changed it for her, screen cleared and she went on her way.

I really should have reported her, safety should have been first concern, especially in my job for a distribution company. But, I didn't want to be the total stranger that was responsible for making her housebound.

Bad call probably, but that's what I did.

[Alice Coupe]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Makes my blood boil.

Could be any of our loved ones wiped out by some old halfwitt or drugged up fuckwitt.

Hopefully they killed themselves and hurt no one else.

Did you read the story.

Idiot.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by Alice Coupe

Did you read the story.

Idiot.

Damn depressing some poor incident died. Couple in their 80s on a suicide pact or something, surely you stop when you realise all the cars are going the other way!

Potentially though a heart attack and foot resting on the accelerator?

: odd

[Alice Coupe]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Damn depressing some poor incident died. Couple in their 80s on a suicide pact or something, surely you stop when you realise all the cars are going the other way!

Potentially though a heart attack and foot resting on the accelerator?

: odd

Or how about an elderly couple made a mistake and drove the wrong way down a motorway ramp. It’s happened many times before by bpeople much younger.

Not realising their error they accelerate to motorway speed and move to what they think it the left hand lane.

Notice the junction markers They are 100 metres from the ramp.

Now at 60/70 miles an hour they realise their mistake. Even if they hit the brakes, that’s another 100 meters. However, this is a situation probably no one is prepared for. a few more seconds pass by and they still travelling 60mph.

Have a bit of consideration. 3 people lost their lives. I’m pretty sure when you reach their age, you’ll. still think your the worlds best driver with the reactions of a 20 year old.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by Alice Coupe

Or how about an elderly couple made a mistake and drove the wrong way down a motorway ramp. It's happened many times before by bpeople much younger.

Not realising their error they accelerate to motorway speed and move to what they think it the left hand lane.

Notice the junction markers They are 100 metres from the ramp.

Now at 60/70 miles an hour they realise their mistake. Even if they hit the brakes, that's another 100 meters. However, this is a situation probably no one is prepared for. a few more seconds pass by and they still travelling 60mph.

Have a bit of consideration. 3 people lost their lives. I'm pretty sure when you reach their age, you'll. still think your the worlds best driver with the reactions of a 20 year old.

What?

Look at the dash cam footage again and tell me that car is slowing down!

Also look at the cars on the opposite carriageway. There are many flashing to warn the drivers in the dash cam cars direction that they are heading towards a very dangerous situation!!! Look at the delay between the flashes and the time taken for the caravan to arrive lots of time for the caravan car to slow down.

I appreciate that you are looking to make me out as ageist and give the caravan driver every benefit of the doubt but seriously???!!!!!

EDIT1: Yep I watched it again several times just now. The white. Am clearly flashes on almost passes by several seconds before the caravan car...which in that time must have been travelling the wrong way for quite enough time to realise they're doing something ludicrously dangerous!??!

EDIT2: Look how busy the motorway is!!!! It might just be possible to understand joining in the wrong direction at night when you're the only car about and very little oncoming traffic. If you say they just joined the Motorway and it's that busy, I just cannot I comprehend how they think it's safe and ok to move across from the ramp then across 3 clearly very busy lanes of oncoming traffic without stopping?