Early start; pouring rain; wet road; running late; tyres slightly under-pressurised; me a little over-pressurised; traffic jam in the outskirts of the Hague; sudden braking not quite effectively sudden enough; big bang, airbags out, smell of gunpowder (or whatever it is they use), car in front swerves across the road and hits the central barrier.

All a bit of shock really, but nobody hurt, and both cars were drivable afterwards if dented. But I’m now sitting at someone else’s desk awaiting instructions on what to do next. I don’t fancy driving back to Brussels from the Hague with the airbag hanging out over the steering wheel.