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sspeirs


Posts: 370
Joined: Mar 2008
Last Visited: 09:59
22nd Apr 2021
A82 - Four Car Crash on Black Ice on Friday 26th January
Date Posted: 21.04hrs on Mon 29 Jan 18
There was a horrendous set of accidents on the A82 last Friday 26th January heading north just before the big Balloch roundabout, a couple of miles north of Dumbarton.

I thought it worth sharing my experience, especially in this forum with many of us heading to the ski centres many times each winter. Given the comments on the "Glencoe 2018" discussion about the A82 queues earlier in January, and the quite candidly complacent view of some on that thread, this I hope will make a few more people think about getting winter tyres: while black ice caused this accident, and to be honest you will still skid on black ice on winter tyres, please do bear in mind that the stopping distance on ice on a winter tyre is a good bit less than when using summer tyres. And if you are thinking "its not that big a difference", bear in mind that this difference may be enough to avoid a crash or avoid killing yourself or other road users.

Certainly as I watched the following events unfold last Friday, I started to think: "will someone be killed here?"

I say a white Fiat 500 spin out of control a few hundreds metres before me. I slowed to a stop and got out to help the lady out of the car. The lady was in complete shock. The road was an ice rink. She had hit someone else I think as she span around.

I phoned the police and as I was doing so I realised other cars were flying up the road - and some were not slowing down. I could not believe how fast people were approaching - surely they saw at least my car with hazards on parked on the inside lane?

A black estate car mounted the grass next to the central reservation to avoid cars crashing on front.

The another 2 or 3 cars crashed, one a blue car driver who approached way way too fast. At first I was worried they would hit my car but then I realised they may spin out of control and hit me! It took a few mins for that to dawn on me. After the blue car crashed I decided to get out of there - so I drive up the road, pulled in to a road leaving the roundabout on the left and called the police again.

Horrendous experience I have to say.

And does anyone know if the A82 is always that bad? Last Saturday was also black ice. And I have seen a few accidents on the A82 between Dumbarton and Tarbet due to black ice in the last year years.

Finally, today I talked to one of the police officers who attended the scene. He told me the road was gritted - but only on the previous evening - not that morning. And - the real shocker - there were sandbags along the side of the road to prevent run off water .... so clearly the transport authorities new of the risk of water getting on the road. Unfortunately water still got on to the road. And 4 or 5 cars had bad accidents as a result. Thankfully no-one was killed.

So something to bear in mind the next time you are on the A82 or A9 or A93 for that matter, or wondering if you should get winter tyres.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.09hrs Mon 29 Jan 18 by sspeirs.
Ad_Hynkel


Posts: 222
Joined: Mar 2010
Last Visited: 12:28
12th Feb 2021
Re: A82 - Four Car Crash on Black Ice on Friday 26th January
Date Posted: 22.25hrs on Mon 29 Jan 18
Thanks for the warning.
growwild


Posts: 3550
Joined: Oct 2005
Re: A82 - Four Car Crash on Black Ice on Friday 26th January
Date Posted: 03.31hrs on Thu 8 Feb 18
The A82 fae just after Clydebank to the Bowling roundabout and Tarbet tae the end of the loch is dodgy as feck all year round unless its bone dry... The run aff fae the hills there runs over the road and washes any salt away pretty quick... The roads on and off the Erskine bridge are worth a watch too...

I was driving tractors when I could reach the steering wheel, rally cars when I was 12/13 and put a car that sticks to the road like shit through a fence a month ago in the snow at around 20-30mph, costing me at least 1500 tae rebuild the fecker, 450 for the fence 100G in pride and freaking tyres would have cost me 450 sad smiley

Should always stop a good bit after a crash too if its possible.
Bob


Guest
Re: A82 - Four Car Crash on Black Ice on Friday 26th January
Date Posted: 09.45hrs on Thu 8 Feb 18
Had a horror experience on the A82 maybe 15 years ago. 6am-ish, heading to Nevis and pretty much at the bit the OP describes. Doing 60mph and I felt the car (a Mitsubishi Shogun) twitch a wee bit. I thought 'that's weird'. Next thing I know I'm spinning round about half a dozen times. There was a guy in a Discover behind me and I can still remember the look of horror on his face every time I spun round and faced him. Eventually came to a stop facing the wrong way with my heart doing 200bpm. Jumped out the car in shock and could barely stand on the road as it was an absolute ice rink. Horrific experience and sad to hear that stretch is still as bad nowadays.
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