senior coroner has urged Nationwide Highways to take motion to enhance good motorway security.
Nicola Mundy wrote to the Authorities-owned firm to precise concern that 153 automobiles handed a stranded automobile earlier than a deadly collision on one of many roads and not using a arduous shoulder.
Mom-of-five Nargis Begum, 62, had received out of the passenger seat of a Nissan Qashqai on the M1 in South Yorkshire when a Mercedes automobile, which appeared to take no avoiding motion, collided with the stationary automobile, inflicting her deadly accidents.
After conducting an inquest into Mrs Begum’s loss of life at Doncaster Coroner’s Courtroom in September, Ms Mundy despatched a report to stop future deaths to Nationwide Highways.
The senior coroner wrote that there’s a “lack of public understanding” relating to the necessity to contact the authorities about stationary automobiles on motorways.
She described how the message “doesn’t seem to have been a precedence” in public consciousness campaigns about good motorways, including: “There’s a threat that future deaths will happen until motion is taken”.
Nationwide Highways should reply to the report by November 11.
On the inquest, Ms Mundy recorded a conclusion of “highway site visitors collision” and dominated that the shortage of a tough shoulder contributed to Mrs Begum’s loss of life.
She heard how the Nissan had pushed previous an emergency refuge on September 9 2018 by about 250 yards and was stranded on the stay lane undetected for 16 minutes and 21 seconds earlier than the deadly crash.
Ms Mundy expressed concern that many members of the general public seem to wrongly consider that the handfuls of cameras that are in place on good motorways have been being consistently monitored by management room workers.
She mentioned one witness advised the inquest how he didn’t report the stationary Nissan as a result of he consider it will be picked up by the cameras.
Quite a few Nationwide Highways administrators and staff, together with chief government Nick Harris, advised the coroner that this was not practicable, and the coroner requested whether or not extra might be executed to teach the general public about this truth.
What it highlights is the stunning nature wherein motorists have been allowed to drive on these roads for years with out correct security consciousness and being made conscious of how they function and what they should do in case of an emergency
Talking after the publication of the coroner’s report back to Nationwide Highways, Mrs Begum’s daughter, Saima Aktar, 40, mentioned the quantity of people that drove previous the Nissan with out making a report was “actually staggering” however “under no circumstances will we blame them”.
She went on: “What it highlights is the stunning nature wherein motorists have been allowed to drive on these roads for years with out correct security consciousness and being made conscious of how they function and what they should do in case of an emergency.
“Whereas there could also be cameras on these roads, what occurred to mum exhibits individuals can’t depend on these.
“These cameras will not be watching you or the highway, so we urge individuals to take possession of a state of affairs they could come throughout and report it.”
Christopher Kardahji, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing Mrs Begum’s household, mentioned: “We welcome the coroner’s feedback and the necessity for Nationwide Highways to take pressing motion to enhance the security of those roads.
“The prevention of future deaths order provides to the groundswell of opinion that good motorway security has been compromised and that extra nonetheless must be executed to guard highway customers.”
Nick Harris, chief government of Nationwide Highways, mentioned: “Mrs Begum’s loss of life was a tragedy and our sympathies stay together with her household and pals.
“We’ve an ongoing programme of highway security marketing campaign exercise, meant to supply vital steerage to drivers to make journeys safer, simpler and extra dependable. I’ve additionally set work in prepare to discover further actions we and companions may take to additional improve consciousness among the many public of what they will do in the event that they spot somebody in problem on any highway.
“We stay dedicated to serving to drivers and their passengers be even safer and really feel protected on all our roads, together with good motorways.”
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