A QUEUE of traffic on a motorway often signals the start of tailbacks in the opposite direction.

But it’s rarely because there have been two accidents at the same time, in almost exactly the same place.

More often than not, the second queue is caused by ‘rubberneckers’, drivers slowing right down to peer across several lanes of traffic, and sometimes in the dark.

And that’s exactly what happened on the M65 near Blackburn during yesterday morning’s rush-hour.

A five-vehicle accident on the westbound carriageway caused traffic to back up in both directions, with the Burnley-bound drivers simply slowing to ‘rubberneck’.

This means cars travelling on the 70mph limit road can suddenly slow to just a few miles an hour, apparently hoping for a glimpse at someone else’s misery and misfortune.

Just before Christmas, the Highways Agency announced it had spent more than £2m on screens to stop just that.

In some ways it’s human nature, but in so many others it’s another accident waiting to happen.

Drivers must keep their eyes firmly on the road ahead and avoid the temptation to get distracted and end up in an accident of their own.