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Recently at work (dates not provided to protect the stupid), I was manning a road closure. As is common in my neck of the woods a driver decided that the speed limit didn't apply to him, while he decided against following the law of the road he couldn't do a thing against the laws of physics and rolled his car at 60mph, turning said automobile into little more than an interesting piece of modern sculpture.
So that further incidents weren't repeated (and to protect the emergency services/recovery agents) the road was closed at a roundabout. This is common so that drivers don't have to turn in the road and can find an alternative route much more easily. As is also common I only blocked the normal entry lane into the road so that any traffic from houses/businesses could actually exit the road. Because the roundabout was quite a large one there is a traffic island between the two lanes (as seen in this link)
So, to close the road I have a fully marked car (i.e. reflective markings), a full width blue light bar on the roof, flashing red lights at the back, cones across the full width of the carriageway, a sign saying 'Road Closed' and another saying 'Accident'. This is generally sufficient to convey a subtle message to the majority of road users that the road is indeed closed.
Unfortunately one particular driver chose to ignore this - while I'm talking to a resident about the fact that this road is indeed closed again I'm suddenly aware that there is a car pulling into the road travelling on the right (remember folks, we drive on the left here!) and is attempting to negotiate the very sharp bend - the the following conversation (I may, or may not have been a bit annoyed by this):
Me = Me
CD = Car Driver
Me - STOP YOUR CAR NOW!
CD - Is there a problem?
Me - *pointing to aforementioned road closure* What's that?
CD - Umm...
Me - What do you think it means?
CD - I don't know
Me - Well, what does a (my works) car, with the blue lights on, with cones across the road and a sign saying 'Road Closed' usually mean?
CD - That the road is closed?
Me - Indeed, so why did you choose to ignore that fact?
CD - I just didn't see it
Me - No, you chose to ignore it, if you had indeed not seen it you would have driven straight through the cones and crashed into the car; now why did you chose to ignore it?
CD - Well, I just want to get to (place the other side of the crash)
Me - Excuse me? You chose to ignore a very obviously placed road block so you could travel down this road? A road block specifically placed because there is an accident already on this road, a road block placed so that the emergency services can work in safety extricating a trapped driver.
CD - ...
Me - Right, how many points do you have on your licence?
CD - None
Me - So you really don't want me to get a traffic officer (UK equiv of Highway Patrol) to attend here, look at the road closure and your standard of driving and report you for the offence of dangerous driving, an offence which will result in your licence being removed from you?
CD-
No.
Me - (Knowing full well that traffic are currently dealing with the collision up the road, and there's no-one free at all to deal with this idiot driver) right, what you will do is turn your car around Here and you will find an alternative route. Any questions?
CD - No
So off they went on their merry way. In retrospect I should have got traffic down to deal with them, but I know they were s t r e c h e d thin that night, with 3 serious/fatal collisions, so I would have been waiting hours for one to attend.
Ah well.
So that further incidents weren't repeated (and to protect the emergency services/recovery agents) the road was closed at a roundabout. This is common so that drivers don't have to turn in the road and can find an alternative route much more easily. As is also common I only blocked the normal entry lane into the road so that any traffic from houses/businesses could actually exit the road. Because the roundabout was quite a large one there is a traffic island between the two lanes (as seen in this link)
So, to close the road I have a fully marked car (i.e. reflective markings), a full width blue light bar on the roof, flashing red lights at the back, cones across the full width of the carriageway, a sign saying 'Road Closed' and another saying 'Accident'. This is generally sufficient to convey a subtle message to the majority of road users that the road is indeed closed.
Unfortunately one particular driver chose to ignore this - while I'm talking to a resident about the fact that this road is indeed closed again I'm suddenly aware that there is a car pulling into the road travelling on the right (remember folks, we drive on the left here!) and is attempting to negotiate the very sharp bend - the the following conversation (I may, or may not have been a bit annoyed by this):
Me = Me
CD = Car Driver
Me - STOP YOUR CAR NOW!
CD - Is there a problem?
Me - *pointing to aforementioned road closure* What's that?
CD - Umm...
Me - What do you think it means?
CD - I don't know
Me - Well, what does a (my works) car, with the blue lights on, with cones across the road and a sign saying 'Road Closed' usually mean?
CD - That the road is closed?
Me - Indeed, so why did you choose to ignore that fact?
CD - I just didn't see it
Me - No, you chose to ignore it, if you had indeed not seen it you would have driven straight through the cones and crashed into the car; now why did you chose to ignore it?
CD - Well, I just want to get to (place the other side of the crash)
Me - Excuse me? You chose to ignore a very obviously placed road block so you could travel down this road? A road block specifically placed because there is an accident already on this road, a road block placed so that the emergency services can work in safety extricating a trapped driver.
CD - ...
Me - Right, how many points do you have on your licence?
CD - None
Me - So you really don't want me to get a traffic officer (UK equiv of Highway Patrol) to attend here, look at the road closure and your standard of driving and report you for the offence of dangerous driving, an offence which will result in your licence being removed from you?
CD-
No.Me - (Knowing full well that traffic are currently dealing with the collision up the road, and there's no-one free at all to deal with this idiot driver) right, what you will do is turn your car around Here and you will find an alternative route. Any questions?
CD - No
So off they went on their merry way. In retrospect I should have got traffic down to deal with them, but I know they were s t r e c h e d thin that night, with 3 serious/fatal collisions, so I would have been waiting hours for one to attend.
Ah well.
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