Details are still thin, but the crash involved a car and a lorry near the busy junction 10 (A329). Emergency services were on the scene quickly, clearing the wreckage, but the damage to the afternoon’s schedule was already done. Highways England warned that delays would linger long after the vehicles were towed away.
In typical M25 fashion, the knock-on effect was brutal. Queues stretched back to junction 7 for the M23 and all the way to junction 11 for Chertsey. It was the kind of gridlock that makes you reconsider your life choices—or at least your choice of podcast.
The Survival Guide: How to Not Lose Your Mind
If you find yourself trapped in this asphalt purgatory, remember your survival kit. First, never let your phone battery drop below 50%. A dead phone in a traffic jam is like a boat without a paddle—you’re just floating in a sea of wasted time.
Pack snacks. Not just a sad protein bar, but something that sparks joy: a bag of Salted Caramel Pretzels or a chocolate bar you’d normally save for a bad day. You’re now on a budget of patience, and these treats are your currency.
Also, learn the art of the strategic diversion. Apps like Waze can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on the day. If thousands of other drivers are all directed onto the A41, you might be swapping one queue for another. Sometimes, the lesser evil is just staying put and accepting the delay as free time.
Fun fact: The M25 is one of the busiest motorways in Europe, carrying over 200,000 vehicles per day near the Dartford Crossing. That’s more traffic than the entire population of some small cities, crawling their way around London.
M25 chaos: Major lorry collision causes 90 minutes of delays and heavy
