wwp8

at around 1 ish was going to manc.
there was a massive tailback, 25minutes later i did a u-turn and went a different direction at 5.15 the road JUST cleared cop car still there
anyone know what happened?

CooperS

Dunno, I don't live far away from Glossop, and 3 cop cars + 1 fire engine raced through between about 1:30-2.00

andym172

Really bad smash between 2 cars

Don't know any more than that - I saw the cars on flatbed's when I was travelling along there at around 4ish.

wwp8

that snake pass is a death zone theres more flowers there than interflora

people should be more careful, when they see flowers there they should know its not a good road,
but saying that if you're a safe driver yourself, you can't guarantee that the one opposite won't come flying to you

needless to say its rated the 4th most dangerous road

http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/roadsafety/

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

IIRC, Snake Pass is A57. The 4th most dangerous appears to be the Woodhead pass?

Alcazar

wwp8

hmm i thought it was the a616

GC8

Snake Pass is the A57; Woodhead Pass is the A628; theyre the two options you have if you want to drive to Manchester from Sheffield. Im surprised that Woodhead is regarded as a dangerous road, especially compared to Snake which demands constant concentration; parts of it should be signed 'Unsuitable for Motors'!

Simon

GC8

Just looked at that link.... the Cat and Fiddle is the worst! The Peak is a pretty sh*tty place to travel in isnt it? Perhaps these figures have more to do with the motorists and motorcyclists who travel on the roads and their reason for doing so? Snake Pass is not a 'challenging ride'; the mountain on the IOM is a challenge; Snake is a bereavement waiting to happen ffs.

Number 4 isnt the A628 Woodhead pass; its the A616 Stocksbridge Bypass; the link from M1 J35a to the A628; and its extremely dangerous due to its appalling design. Its now one of the few SPECS sites in the country; the installation was expensive but a lot cheaper than making the road safe I suppose... Im not certain but I dont think the SPECS installation covers the really dangerous bit either; but its got the bits where you can go quickly so thats alright then.

Simon

CrisPDuk

I beg to differ, I live at the foot of the Cat & Fiddle road (Macc, the end with 'lectric), and used to have cause to use the Snake on numerous occasions through work, and, rather than being a sh!tty place to travel, the peak has most of the greatest drivers roads in the country.

IMO most of the accidents on both roads could have happened anywhere, as they have been more the result of numpties failing to respect their limitations and the prevailing conditions, than due to any problem with the road itself.

I must agree about the Stocksbridge Bypass though, I do think every time there is a fatality that the local authority should be charged for causing it It is a truly shocking example of how not to plan a road But as you say, at least we're safe from those nasty speeders on the straight bits

GC8

Im sure that you realise that my 'sh*tty' remark as tongue in cheek and related to the figures; seeing as I come form the Peak District... The Snake Pass is not a great drivers road though; its a terrible road in an appaling state of repair; changing between decent rural NSL A road and Derbyshire country lane in the space of 100 metres. Woodhead on the other hand; is a great road to drive on; but the endless articulated lorries mixed in with the numpties mean that you dont often enjoy it.

More seriously; the Stocksbridge Bypass is the responsibility of the MOT and not the local authority; its acknowledged as a flawed design but there doesnt seem to be the will there to actually re-design it properly; removing the access to the Stocksbridge steelworks (with its crawling articulted lorries crossing a blind browed brief dual carriagewayd bit ffs!) for a start.

Simon

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Stocksbridge bypass

That's one of Britain's most haunted roads.

And I'm surprised if Woodhead isn't: the Manchester end has a layby where the moors murderers parked to walk up onto Saddleworth moor to dispose of the bodies, one of which is still up there

Alcazar

GC8

Are you sure about that? Whilst its all the same high ground Id regard that as Howden Moor; Saddleworth Moor is a good deal North of there level with Oldham surely? There is layby with a butty van where a severed head was found about 10 years ago. Pop bint Gabrielle's ex manager and Halifax Road chip shop proprieter chopped of his step father's head and dumped it there after telling it exactly what he thought of him. Every time I drive past I cant help but wonder if the people hanging about there know..... Thats made me think; I cant wait to get past Saddleworth Moor when Im driving on the M62 WB into Manchester; where the very high bridge crosses the motorway, between J22 and J21 I think...

Ive heard a lot of stories about what people have seen on the Stocksbridge Bypass; I didnt mention them, this is Scoobynet after all.

Simon

andym172

I disagree - the Snake Pass is an excellent drivers road IMHO.

I drive it a couple of times each month and have an excellent time. The surface isn't great, but even in my VX220 it's hardly a bone shaker.

Where I do think there's a problem is that you can have large 'packs' of cars/lorries driving along together - get one slow driver and you're stuffed as there are relatively few places to safely pass. Therefore if you have somebody who is in a rush and gets stuck at the back of a pack then they're more likely to make a risky overtake.

I personally have no problem with the road - so long as you're not stupid, and you're constantly aware of other road users (more specifically those you can't see) then you should be ok

tmo

Travel over to Manchester at least twice a week, using the stocksbridge bypass / woodhead. Travelling back late at night I would rather urinate myself than stop for a p!ss
Stopped once at crowden to use the bogs next to the campsite.
You walk down that little path through the woods ..... Well something was in the woods that wasn't best pleased, you see the films when people are chased back to their cars, that’s what it felt like, expected something to jump on me as I opened the car door.
I have never been so scared in my life and believe me I do not scare easily.

cw42

iTrader: (1)

was coming back from sheffield myself yesterday, down woodhead, past jason mcroys memorial, when I could see, just over the reservoir bridge, and almost next to the turning for holme moss (fantastic road by the way, see here for a WR1 on that road), a lot of emergency services vehicles
Sat in the traffic for about 5 mins, when I came to the conclusion that we weren't going anywhere for a while. Did a u turn, and headed back up the road, turning left for Huddersfield and holmfirth. Followed the signs for holmfirth, then the signs for manchester over the top of holme moss.
When we finally got to the junction, we could see down on our left, on the woodhead road, 2 cars, 1 ford mondeo, and another I couldn't make out. Both were totally wrecked, and they were still cutting someone out of the other car
Finally managed to get through, and head back into mottram, traffic coming over to sheffield wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, maybe only a 2 mile tailback.
Last time we went along woodhead, there was a smash that held us up, luckily for us, that time we were able to shortcut through glossop, and the "devils elbow" road, and come out in front of it.
As for the "snake pass" being a very bad road, I too strongly dissagree. It is without doubt, one of my favourite roads in the area, very challenging, twisty, excellent surface, and plenty of safe places to overtake cars.
I "do it" at least once a month, and know it really well now, and have never yet seen an accident on it.
Woodhead on the otherhand is a deathtrap, too much heavy haulage, diesel spill, crap drivers, sunday drivers, and boring to boot
chris.

Dream Weaver

Snake Pass is a fantastic road IMHO

GC8

cw42; seeing as you seem to be familiar with 'JMC' Id be grateful if you could tell me who this fellow was and what happened. Im pretty well travelled and Ive never seen a memorial as long-lived and as well tended as this.

The trouble with Snake is that there are so many changes, both to the 'type' of road and also to the surface; its several different roads really. It isnt the whole road that I dislike, just parts of it, its al 'Snake Pass' though. A good example of this would be where I referred to earlier: heading towards Glossop past the Ladybower reservoir its a good rural NSL road; wide with reasonable visibility and a good surface; then; within a hundred metres it turns into a windy narrow Derybshire back lane with an appalling surface. The last two times that Ive driven through this bit Ive had to avoid an oncomming vehicle on my side of the road as drivers have been caught out or have caught themselves out...

Ive editied this a lot but I still feel that only a foolish person doesnt see this road as what it is. If you want to 'drive' your car go to Woodhead or the Cat and Fiddle; if you want to take a chance then go to Snake. Snake Pass is full of numpties having a top time on a top drivers road.....

Simon

supertouring

This this CW Safe or normal Safe - there is a difference!

The snake is where a guy in a Volvo tried to kill me once - just cause I overtook him on the way up to the top! Numptie is not the word.

Andy S.

Glad you mentioned it was tongue in cheak as some of the best roads are in the peak district!

My home turf!

Got to agree with you on the snake some bits are fun but otheres are just dangerous!

Woodhead is wide enough to tempt you to overtake but not quite wide enough for some people lots of head on accidents on the woodhead!

As for the Cat and Fiddle I have never seen an accident on there invlving more than 1 vehicle, lots of cars and bikes accually off the road though LOL. A wonderful bit of road spoilt by those that take to many risks!

MrsP1Fanatic

sorry have u lot listened to yourselves

CooperS

GC8, check out the official JMC site for more info, a proper shame when he died, Fred Salmon, JMC and Nick Craig lived in the next village along from me, and there was proper shock when he died.

http://www.3k.co.uk/jmc/index.htm

mj

A question for all yo woodhead regulars:

for about as long as I have been travelling over the A628, there has been a load of flowers at the same spot for about the last 10 yrs, from memorry, it is on the LH side ( out of manc ), after the turn off for holmfirth and before the butty van laybay, in fact IIRC, its at the begging of the straight that the buuty van layby is on. There always seems to be a wreath of a cycle/motorbike there, aswell as loads of flowers.


any ideas, always puzzled me.


BTW, if anyone wants a good run, out of manc, thru delph/uppermill/saddleworth/crossM62/sowerby bridge/halifax.......

Andy S.

See the link below in CooperS post
Jason McRoys memorial


CooperS. do you drive a cooper S as I have never seen one in Little Hayfield, best mate lives there.

mj

thats the one, here's me thinking Thompson holidays had launched a really sick marketing campaign.

that has always bugged me, cheers.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

As sure as I can be..........the press called it Saddleworth moor, I think they found it on a local map, and liked the name

IIRC, the moors murderers lived in Hyde, which is that way on, and drove up that road looking for somewhere to get rid of bodies. They were eventually tied to the crimes because a little girl they had been taking up there, probably in preparation to killing her too, remembered, and took the police up to the layby.

Apparently, the police dug, and searched for a whole day, then decided to give up................one officer went off for a p*ss as the rest were boarding the transport, and came back white faced, having found an arm sticking out of the ground. Another grave was found from a photo in the murderers' house: Myra Hindley was actually standing on the site of one burial

Keith Bennet's body was never found

If you're interested, read the book:"Beyond belief", by Emlyn Williams.

THEN read "A place of execution", by Val McDermid. The second is fiction, but how dark????????

Alcazar

GC8

Thanks for that; I passed it this morning actually, back on the Snake. For those who know the road well the bit that I dislike, and that claims most vivtims, is between Ladybower head and the Snake Pass Inn; I had to dodge a suicidal sheep today too, just to spice it all up.

I noticed two seperate bunches of flowers; one on each side of the raod at the sight of the accident on the A628, that was mentioned at the begining of this thread btw.

Simon

wwp8

i don't wanna sound rude by saying this but

am i the only one to think that speed means nothing if you can't control the car
i don't care if someone can get from a - z in 5 minutes if they can't keep in their own lane
(like the guy in the vid)
last week i was behind a land rover. he was all over the place. (was doing 50, 60 max)
i was driving a 1.3 van

CooperS

AndyS, got rid in July this year after 2 years, needed something cheaper to run, who's your mate, chances are that I'll know them. very small place!! Lived there all my life (26 yrs)

cw42

iTrader: (1)

wwp8, so your saying you don't use all of the road when "pressing on" on country lanes, with full visibility of the road ahead?
Don't believe your driving properly if thats the case, even a fully trained police pursuit driver would advocate using all of the road, as its much safer for sight lines and cornering.
chris.

wwp8

no, because if i do that , then i know i can't control the car probably so i slow down to just the speed i can to keep the car in the lane

(ps i don't really speed on country lanes, Lack of confidence)

btw the way you say that ,.....YOU do don't ya