'My baby overheated during M5 closure'

A mother says she would think twice before travelling on a hot day after her baby overheated while they were stuck in heavy traffic on the M5.

Siobhan, from near Tiverton, Devon, was taking her nine-month-old daughter, Adora, to a swimming lesson in Taunton, Somerset, on 17 July when traffic ground to a halt following an incident on the motorway.

"I started to panic because she was getting overheated and she was going bright red in the face," she said. The temperature on the day was 28C (82F) in Taunton.

With more summer getaway traffic expected on the M5 this weekend, road safety experts are urging drivers to plan ahead and know what to do if they become stranded in queues.

Ashley Fox, the MP for Bridgwater, which the M5 runs through, said the recent traffic issues are "becoming increasingly unacceptable for local communities".

Siobhan said she had checked the route using a navigation app before setting off, and the motorway was showing as clear.

But, two miles before reaching the junction for Taunton, the traffic began slowing down and it took her ten minutes to drive one mile.

As her car began overheating, she had to switch the engine off.

The M5 was closed between junction 23 for Dunball and junction 24 for Bridgwater due to a police-led incident.

With the windows down, she said the vehicle became "just hotter and hotter".

There was no shade on the hard shoulder, so Siobhan used it to drive the final mile to junction 25 where she was able to cool Adora down.

While Siobhan considered calling the police to help with an escort, she was concerned Adora's "wellbeing may have gotten worse", so her priority became getting off the M5.

"When you're in that situation, you think to yourself, 'I would rather be asking for forgiveness than to ask for permission and have to wait' when it's to do with a child," she said.

But she said the experience would make her think carefully about travelling during hot weather in future.

"If this incident had happened when temperatures are 16 degrees or so, I don't think it would have been such a struggle or an emotional day or I (would have) felt so anxious with my child in the car."

On Monday, Fox wrote a letter to Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood urging an "urgent review" of how incidents are managed on the motorway.

In it, he said: "Having met with both National Highways and Avon & Somerset Police to better understand the causes of these closures, I appreciate the complexity involved in managing serious collisions and incidents involving persons in crisis.

"I recognise that public safety must always remain the foremost consideration and that emergency services often face difficult operational and investigative requirements.

"Nevertheless, the current situation is becoming increasingly unacceptable for local communities."

Avon and Somerset Police said drivers stuck on the motorway should call 999 in a genuine emergency and the force will provide advice or assistance.

Jack Mason, road safety manager for National Highways in the South West, said while it's "very distressing" being stuck in a car with a young child, drivers should try and stay in the vehicle.

"That is the safest place to be, getting out of the vehicle could put you at harm," he said.

"We don't like to see people go in the hard shoulder because emergency services need to use that in order to get to the incident."

The M5 is a busy route during the summer as holidaymakers head on their breaks.

The RAC has warned of delays of about 34 minutes heading southbound between J15 and J23 of the M5 at about 12:30 BST on Saturday.

On Sunday, drivers heading northbound up the M5 between J25 and J15 at about 14:00 BST are expected to encounter a hold up of about 70 minutes.

Meanwhile, National Highways said it has seen "high volumes across all days during the holiday period" in recent years, straying from the tradition of weekends, Thursdays and Mondays being the busiest.

It said peaks run from mid-morning to early evening and advised drivers to always plan ahead, especially if travelling via the M5, the M4, the A303, A417, A30 and A38.

Based on data for M5 Avonmouth Bridge crossings, the busiest southbound days occur on Fridays and Thursdays, while Fridays and Mondays are the busiest days for northbound traffic.

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