Calls to introduce 20mph limit at Sholing accident blackspot

They want a 20mph limit at a “dangerous junction” with South East Road and Kathleen Road in Sholing which has seen a number of accidents over the past several years, with cars left flipped upside down and left in a complete wreck.

So far, more than 250 residents have signed an E-petition to call for the council to take them seriously.

One resident who lives at the junction is appealing to the council to put speed limits to place claiming the current speed cushions already in place are not suitable.

Her husband said their garden fence had been smashed into four times in six years. He added: “There is a very real threat to safety that exists, especially considering the proximity to two schools.“We have spent five years emailing them, running petitions and writing letters trying to get them to recognise how dangerous it is. Despite them installing speed cushions, the accidents have only increased.”

Another resident, who didn’t want to be named, who lives on Kathleen Road said: “The junction is a death-trap, the majority of these incidents are caused by careless drivers who fail to give way at the junction. 20mph will curb the accident rate and get the message to drivers to slow down and drive more carefully so the council need to take action now.”

Royston Smith, Tory MP for Southampton Itchen said: “Asking people to drive at 20mph doesn’t mean that they will. What the council has done so far has not worked and the council need to realise that and take action.”

One of the most recent incidents on April 13 involving a Kia which was found upside down in the barriers of a play area after colliding with a van.

The two drivers, one a 57-year-old woman and the other a 53-year-old man, both suffered injuries.

Meanwhile, two Peugeot 207’s crashed into each other on the same junction almost a month later although noone was injured.

A city council spokesperson said: “Since speed cushions were installed in South East Road the injury accident rate has come down, however, we recognise that there is a trend in remaining injury accidents. The police injury accident reports since the change in priorities largely indicate the causes as drivers either disobeying give way and/or failure to look properly. This is especially prevalent from the north-eastern approach to the junction on Kathleen Road. On this basis, Southampton City Council is now undertaking designs for measures to enhance the awareness of this junction to drivers specifically from Kathleen Road approaches and a budget has been set aside for delivery this financial year.”