Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

Yeah, the BBC did a programme about it a couple of months ago about the
fictional events of the 19th December 2003.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ed/default.stm

In reality, early this year, ice on the roads and no grit sprayers meant
that mulitple accidents occurs and nobody moved for hours some abandoning
their cars on motorways.

"Kate" wrote in message
om...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

"Kate" wrote in message
om...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and
I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?

Wasn't on of Ben Elton's early books based on this idea?

In message , Kate
writes
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group so
forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently heard
about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly caused by
a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I thought (as
writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel. However before
I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue. Does anyone know
where I can find out more about the formation of traffic jams, what
might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?

BBC did that ages ago. Tube strike. Accident on M25 and roadwork's on
roads round M25 lead to massive jam on M25.
People dying in cars as it was winter. 100's of cars left on M25 as
police evacuated cars.
And a plane crash over Heathrow as air traffic controller was so tired
as the person who was suppose to take over from him was stuck in traffic
getting to Heathrow.
You should look into getting a copy of that. It was fiction. But was
based on fact and was done in a documentary type way.
--
CJG

(Kate) wrote in message . com...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

If you intend to write specifically about London one thing worth
thinking about might be the 'London Traffic Control Centre' (LTTC).
Quoting from TfL's website this is "a central control point, staffed
by the Metropolitan Police and TfL Street Management staff to: monitor
network conditions; process, integrate and analyse data; introduce
contingency traffic signal timings; direct police to specific problem
areas and disseminate traffic information to public and media. The
team also manages the installation of VMS, CCTV and Enforcement
cameras."

At the time the Congestion Charge came in the LTTC was tasked
principally to keep traffic moving on the Ring Road, just outside the
ccharge zone, in the event of major congestion caused by the charge.
This congestion didn't happen at that time but I believe they are
prepared for many other eventualities with a large pile of contingency
plans.

I wanted to thank everyone for all your replies on this posting. I now
have lots of things to investigate and think about.
thanks again
Kate