A NEW Forest road has seen 58 crashes in just five years, a report has shown.

Hampshire County Council’s assessment of the A338 between Fordingbridge and Ringwood will be discussed at today’s planning, town and environment committee in Ringwood.

The incidents were recorded during a five year study by Hampshire County Council between August 2011 and July 2016.

Of the 58 crashes, 11 were considered serious and two involved fatalities.

The risk of the road is calculated by comparing the frequency of road crashes resulting in death and serious injury with how much traffic the road carries. The A338 is therefore ranked as a medium risk road in accordance with their calculations.

Cllr Michael Thierry, Mayor of Ringwood, has been campaigning for years with the Mayor of Fordingbridge, Cllr Malcolm Connolly, to make the road safer.

“It is confirmed that the road has medium risk, proven by the figures,” Cllr Thierry said.

“I’m sure they treat every accident very seriously and they investigate them and make the road safer where they can. What they haven’t said is how we can change that status to low risk - some idea how that may be achieved - and that’s an area they should explain further.”

Last May 70-year-old cyclist Richard White died following a hit-and-run crash on the road at Fordingbridge.

Van driver who left cyclist dying in the road is jailed after 'doing everything he could to try and get away with it'

It was one of two fatalities on the stretch between Ibsley and Burgate where there is a national speed limit.

This stretch saw 26 incidents, three of which were considered serious, excluding the fatalities, and 21 slight.

In Blashford, where there is a 40mph limit, there have been 15 incidents, five of which were serious and 10 slight.

From Blashford to Ibsley where there is the national speed limit, there were eight incidents, one serious and seven slight.

Of those eight, four were at Ellingham crossroads which was subject to a ‘remedial casualty reduction scheme’ in 2012.

In Ibsley, where the speed limit is 40mph, there were nine crashes, two serious and seven slight.

Seven of these were shown to have happened at the junction with Mockbeggar Lane.

A similar reduction scheme was implemented there in February 2013.