Sheppey car crash: 'Stupid driving' may have been to blame, say AA

The Kent car pile-up may have been caused by 'stupid driving' , an AA chief said today.

Motorists involved could well have been travelling far too close to the vehicle in front and not using their fog lights, added AA president Edmund King.

He added that some drivers were unaware of how to use their fog lights and he also said drivers in the Kent accident were likely to be out of pocket as they faced paying the first £200 to £300 in accident claims.

Mr King went on: 'I was driving in foggy conditions on the M25 in Hertfordshire today and it was stupid the way people were driving. That could well have been the case in the Kent incident today.

'I had to signal to some guy who was driving just two feet behind me to keep back. Many people were not using their fog lights and many were travelling far too close to the vehicle in front.'

Mr King continued: 'It's really bad to travel too close to the car in front in good conditions and if you do it in foggy conditions it's an absolute recipe for disaster. In dense fog you cannot see the brake lights ahead. By law, you don't have to have fog lights on, although it's recommended.

'Unfortunately many people don't know how to turn their fog lights on. You may only need them once a year but it's vital they get used.'

Mr King added: 'The main thing for drivers to remember is not to tailgate. Such actions are now covered by new careless driving legislation and offenders could face a fixed penalty notice.

'It's just fortunate that the casualty figures from today's incident were low. it could have been a lot worse.

Many people could be out of pocket following the accident as their insurance policies could require them to pay the first £200 to £300 of a claim for a shunt-like crash.'