Number of M20 crashes stack up

Last week’s crash on the M20 was one of four major accidents to occur on the motorway near Maidstone in November alone.

On November 8, the outside lane of the London-bound carriageway was blocked between Junction 6 for Blue Bell Hill and Junction 5 for Aylesford before the eight-car pile-up on the evening of November 13.

Just three days later, there was another serious smash in the opposite direction when a car and a lorry collided on the coastbound carriageway between junctions 5 and 6, causing three hours of delays.

Then there was chaos throughout the morning rush last Friday after a collision at the roundabout near junction 5 involving a car and a moped which sparked long delays.

The incidents have coincided with a number of road projects taking place along the motorway, which connects London and Dover.

Further up the M20, near Ashford, there was nearly 50 accidents in just one month, where the carriageways had been narrowed to two lanes in order to allow roadworks to take place.

Off the back of this, Highways England faced calls to review its management of the works but bosses insisted none of the serious incidents were caused by the design of the traffic management road layout.