Accident at Gowkley Moss roundabout

I see that there was an accident at Gowkley Moss roundabout tonight. A pickup truck seems to have careered off the road just past the Roslin turnoff. I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if that stupid short bus lane had something to do with it Last Sunday a bus driver had the cheek to flash their lights at me, presumably because I was in his/her bus lane

I don't know, seen the truck and it does seem a bit of an odd angle to be at. The whole bus lane thing between Gowkley & Milton Bridge still makes me nervous when driving as people just don't appear to know how to cope with them.

I noticed today that there were some flowers attached to a lamp post at the roundabout but have seen no reports of the accident you mentioned. Anyone have any further info? (or are the cooncil keeping it quiet as usual as they don't like to admit what a Gowkley Mess it is)

Apparently the driver had a heart attack while driving.

Thanks for the info Carnethy - always nice to know what is going on with Gowkley Mess. I wonder if there is anyone who actually likes that roundabout (council folk excepted of course!)?

Look's like someone didn't see the roundabout signs recently and ended up on the roundabout!

Okay, as far as the weather is concerned it's been a pretty miserable day, especially with the thick mist in places. However, imagine my surprise when heading into Edinburgh earlier today to find someone passing me on the Gowkley Moss roundabout heading the wrong way I just hope they realised what they had done before heading down the dual carriageway towards Penicuik in the wrong direction

Another accident there this morning! Luckily the driver seems to be alright.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Driver-unhurt-after-crawling-from.6219436.jp

From the photo it looks like he was a lucky driver to get out of that!

Sadly another accident near Gowkley Moss last night - explains why I heard lots of sirens around 11.45pm.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Man-20-killed-in-car.6822068.jp

While out for a run on my bike I passed the spot where it happened. There was still some debris there and it seems to be at the same place as the shrine that has been set up for the last fatality. People have been placing flowers there already. A collision investigation car was just pulling up as I was passing by.

I suspect that the council will not be too happy about stv's report from Saturday about the accident, especially when they call it an "accident blackspot" and show the flowers from previous fatalities!


http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/267029-man-dies-in-two-vehicle-crash-in-midlothian/

and also more detail from Evening News:

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Hero-fireman-pulls-crash-victims.6822931.jp

Sadly, it seems that the driver of the car who was critically injured in the recent accident has now died
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-14836648

That effin' roudabout tightens up on you (on an adverse camber, by the way), then throws you into another bend which appears to me to be a situation that should be avoided.

"DESIGN MANUAL FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES
VOLUME 6 ROAD GEOMETRY
SECTION 2 JUNCTIONS
PART 3
TD 16/07
GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF
ROUNDABOUTS
Short lengths of reverse curve, where two
consecutive tangential circular arcs curve in opposite
directions, should be avoided between entry and
adjacent exits."

Not being a road engineer, I have no idea what this really means, but it sounds, to me, like the problem being presented to our youthful, exuberant, over keen and unadjacent, road users. Now, whilst it would be easy to say, from an old guy, experienced, supercilious road user type of person's point of view, "they should only drive as fast as the road conditions dictate", we must all surely be able to appreciate that the kids like to throw it about a bit. The creation of this "roundabout" (ovalabout) is tantamount to setting a boobytrap for the unwary or inexperienced. There was at least one artic that I know of caught out by this, which wiped out one of the lamp posts on the tightening bend - never even made it to the exit. Oh, and don't forget the two into one lanes, confounded by a ridiculous bus-lane which is neither adhered to nor policed - it's like the bloody Whacky Races!!!

Passed an accident outside Glencorse Barracks this morning, 3 police cars, a fire engine & tow truck in attendance with a black Mondeo estate (think it was anyway) sitting at the side of the road with a piece of railing firmly implanted in the bonnet, car didn't look very healthy. At first glance I'd say it looks like a car has come out the barracks and slammed straight into the fence but of course could be completely wrong...

Am I right in thinking that most of these accidents at Gowkley Moss happen on the exit going towards Penicuik?

I've experienced and witnessed some real looniness there. I think the problem is that there are two lanes leading into it and, when both lanes are in use, some nutters seem to think it's a race to see who can get to the single lane bit first.

Ultimately, it's not the roundabout that causes these accidents, it's nutters - but sadly, it probably isn't always the nutters who suffer.

If there was someway of physically closing off one of the lanes so that everyone going to Penicuik is forced to leave in a single file, I think these accidents would be less frequent.

My understanding is that whilst most accidents do involve traffic coming off the roundabout, the cause is traffic heading towards it that has come tanking up the outside lane of the dual-carriageway to get past as much as possible and when the road narrows they have a problem...

Gowkley Moss was a shambles from the beginning.
As Ironlung says, it tightens up on you after you pass the Roslin road end; the camber is all wrong; the lane layout and the bus lane arrangement are asking for trouble; there was never a need for the right-hand sweep from the south into it in the first place.
I'm no road engineer but the son of a very good friend is and his comments about it are unprintable!
Ploverhall junction is hardly any more sensible. To obey the law during evening rush hour there ought to be a single line of traffic waiting in a line which is marked for right-turn only even though 90%+ of traffic is going straight ahead. The tarmac desert in the middle of the junction is also a built-in hazard. Anyone coming from the A703 that doesn't know the layout is quite likely to pass the wrong side of the island. The correct line is almost invisible unless you are familiar with the layout.

Interestingly the BBC have just published an interactive map which plots fatal accidents for the whole of Great Britain between 1999 and 2010. Just type in your postcode and zoom in to see more detail.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15975720

ahm no gaun tae rosewel again its daungerous

Judging by the car wreckage lying on the grass verge at Gowkley Moss roundabout, there has been another accident recently. I don't know if anyone was injured, but it happened at the same spot as the previous fatal accidents.

Yesterday, going into Edinburgh I was approaching Gowkley Moss roundabout when I saw a car coming from Roslin. It stopped, reversed and turned to face back to Roslin. I have no idea what on earth it was trying to do On the way back, again approaching the roundabout, two cars were coming towards me on the other side of the road. They were travelling at 40-50 mph and the space between them was less than a foot