Erm, the insurers are perfectly capable of suing someone else in turn. That's what would happen if you ran into my car, my insurers would seek compensation from yours. In this case, the insurers of anyone injured by an accident caused by tidal flow might sue the person who caused it but their insurers in turn might also seek recompense from the authorities running the tunnel.
I've found the Met Police's take on things, and also found that it was actually the police who decided to stop supporting tidal flow, so you can cut out the Ken bashing and take aim at the boys in blue.
Quote:
Detective Superintendent Glyn Jones from the Metropolitan Police Service's Traffic Command Unit said: 'The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to working together with partners to make London the safest city in the world.
'This applies not only to issues connected with the fear of crime but equally to the safety of roads users.
'We have a continuing commitment to reducing injuries and fatalities due to road traffic collisions.
'Our monitoring of the behaviour of tunnel traffic has led us to the conclusion, agreed with TfL, that the tidal flow should cease.'
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while TfL's own Surface Advisory Panel minutes reveal:
Quote:
Blackwall Tunnel
At a meeting on 5 April, the Metropolitan Police informed TfL of their intention to withdraw support for the Blackwall Tunnel tidal flow system with immediate effect. It was agreed to moderate this to a two week notice period, with the last tidal flow to occur on the morning of 20 April. A Mayoral press statement to this effect was issued on 18 April.
In the event, for operational reasons, the Metropolitan Police chose not to implement Blackwall Tunnel tidal flow arrangements on the mornings of 18-20 April. This followed a collision injury to a motorcyclist overtaking in the southbound tunnel contra-flow on the morning of 17 April
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So one presumes the Met are perfectly happy about this new plan, then, as apparently we've all become much better drivers in the last year?
Quote:
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I really can't see how operating this part time provision is particularly dangerous especially if speed limits in the tunnel are set low and properly enforced.
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Speed cameras in the tunnel (or more accurately illegal overtaking cameras, since it's people overtaking and risking head-on collisions that are the issue) would seem to be an option, but I didn't think speed cameras were too popular on here, from past experience. The decision to stop tidal flow was apparently made based on CCTV evidence.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/medi...hive/4910.aspx
It's interesting that you can impose arbitrary restrictions on people travelling by tube, but restrictions on car drivers are apparently such an outrage that it results in temporary blindness and inability to find out the truth about the story *makes note*.