An air ambulance landed on the M25 after a serious crash during a red alert heatwave, leaving as many as ten people in hospital — most suffering from heat-related conditions after being stuck in traffic. The collision, which involved two vehicles at junction J6 Godstone south of Caterham, forced a huge road closure stretching clockwise from Surrey into Kent and onto the M26 towards Maidstone. National Highways said the motorway was blocked in both directions while the air ambulance worked at the scene, with delays in excess of 60 minutes and 6 miles of congestion on the approach. Traffic was stationary on the UK’s busiest motorway as temperatures approached 30C, with the road surface likely several degrees hotter. Motorists were seen stepping out of their cars onto the searing carriageway and taking dogs for a walk on the lined verges usually reserved for emergency vehicles — behaviour the emergency services strongly advised against. Surrey Police told motorists not to leave their vehicles if they were between junctions 5 and 6, adding that traffic would be moving shortly. One motorist caught in the closure said he missed his first flight in 50 years after the ‘horrific’ crash, adding: ‘No point stressing, some poor soul might not be going home today.’ Another warned: ‘Yep stay well clear of the M25.’ The South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed more than 10 people had been hospitalised, ‘primarily with minor and heat-related conditions after being stuck in traffic.’
As the heatwave intensifies — with temperatures possibly hitting 40C on Wednesday and Thursday in parts of England and Wales, approaching the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C set in Lincolnshire in July 2022, and set to surpass the June record of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976 — drivers face an additional hazard: fines for idling. Motorists attempting to cool down in stationary cars with the air conditioning running risk penalties under emissions laws. Standard fines are £40 if issued by a police officer or £80 from a civil enforcement officer, both halved if paid promptly, though some local authorities impose larger sums. In London, Islington Council enforcement officers issue £110 fines to those who refuse to switch off an idling engine after being asked. RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: ‘Air conditioning is a gamechanger in modern vehicles, making otherwise uncomfortable journeys by road a genuinely pleasant experience. But while we’re all desperate to stay cool, just sitting in the car with the engine and air-conditioning running and going nowhere isn’t advisable. Due to the air pollution this causes, you risk a fine from a police or civil enforcement officer.’ In 2019, the Conservative government announced plans to introduce higher fines for drivers who idle, but this never took place. Lord Chris Grayling, then-transport secretary, said at the time that combating idling would be ‘an easy way to drive down dangerously high levels of pollution’. The Met Office has issued another amber warning for heat for Friday, covering eastern and central England, warning that extreme heat and humidity could affect public health, infrastructure, power and water supplies, and increase water safety incidents as more people visit coasts, lakes or rivers. People have been advised to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
“Ten people hospitalised after M25 crash during heatwave; drivers warned they risk £110 fines for idling with AC on.”