__NOTOC__ On 13 March 1991, a multiple-vehicle collision occurred during

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...

gy conditions on the eastbound carriageway of the

M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...

near Hungerford, Berkshire, between the Membury service station and junction 14. Ten people were killed in the pile-up, which involved 51 vehicles, making it one of the deadliest crashes in the history of Britain's motorway network.

Circumstances

A van driver claimed something flew up in front of him, believed to be jackdaws, startling him and causing him to skid into the

central reservation The median strip, central reservation, roadway median, or traffic median is the reserved area that separates opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways such as divided highways, dual carriageways, freeways, and motorways. The term also a ...

, but it was later reported that he fell asleep at the wheel. A car travelling behind the van changed lanes to avoid contact but other vehicles behind, which were travelling at speeds averaging 70 miles per hour, failed to avoid the crashed van and skidded into the other lanes of the carriageway. Others took evasive action by driving onto the

hard shoulder A shoulder, hard shoulder (British) or breakdown lane, is an emergency stopping lane by the verge of a road or motorway, on the right side in countries which drive on the right, and on the left side in countries which drive on the left. Many wid ...

and up the sides of the cutting. An

articulated lorry A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...

then jack-knifed across all three lanes of the eastbound carriageway. One driver – Alan Bateman – freed himself from his car and ran back down the central reservation to warn approaching motorists, but was ignored or hooted by some drivers as they continued towards the crash. In a period of 19 seconds, 51 vehicles became involved in a pile-up. Car fuel exploded along with the highly combustible material being carried in one of the vans (possibly

deodorant A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration or vaginal secretions, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents s ...

) and the resultant series of explosions closed the carriageway for four days as the charred wrecks were removed and the road surface replaced. Ten people were killed and 25 others were injured, making it one of the worst pile-ups on a motorway in Britain. There were three minor collisions caused by distracted drivers on the opposite carriageway of the motorway. It was noted at the time that there were "nearly as many" people killed and injured in the crash than in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

from enemy fire in the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

. In

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, MP

Michael McNair-Wilson Sir Robert Michael Conal McNair-Wilson (12 October 1930 – 28 March 1993) was a British Conservative Party politician and a Member of Parliament (MP). Early life McNair-Wilson was born on 12 October 1930. He attended Eton College before joini ...

asked why the Thames Valley and

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

police forces had not activated the motorway hazard lights to warn drivers of the patchy fog, but the

under-secretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

for transport,

Christopher Chope Sir Christopher Robert Chope (born 19 May 1947) is a British barrister and politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Christchurch in Dorset since 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he was first elected in 1983 for ...

, stated that these signs were only used for hazards not readily apparent to drivers and not for adverse weather conditions. The crash led to warning signals being introduced on British motorways to warn drivers of fog.

Tribute

The accident took place at the time of year when daffodils bloom in Southern England. After the accident, some police officers who attended the scene planted daffodil bulbs in the bank on the side of the road next to the accident. For many years in the middle of March, the site was marked by a patch of yellow.

References

External links

* * {{Coord, 51.4696, N, 1.5209, W, type:event_region:GB, display=title Road incidents in England M4 Motorway Crash, 1991 1991 disasters in the United Kingdom M4 Motorway Crash, 1991 1990s in Berkshire Road accidents involving fog Disasters in Berkshire M4 motorway March 1991 events in the United Kingdom Lambourn

Circumstances

Tribute

See also

References

External links