Call to cut speed and save lives (From Daily Echo)

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Call to cut speed and save lives across Hampshire

1:30pm Friday 13th January 2012 in Romsey Photograph of the Author By Patrick Knox, Senior Reporter

Call to cut speed and save lives

SPEED limits could be slashed across Hampshire in a bid to curb road deaths and serious crashes.

Highways officers have reviewed 140 routes, advising limits are cut by up to 20mph on some A and B roads.

Hampshire county councillors will decide whether to act on the recommendations on Tuesday.

Urgent action on reducing speed is recommended at accident blackspots. They include: n The A326 along the Waterside between the Dibden Manor and Hardley roundabouts, a stretch which has seen 56 crashes in the past five years.

n Parts of the notorious A338 between Ringwood and Salisbury which has seen more than 40 collisions since 2006.

n Several sections of the A337 which runs through the New Forest from Cadnam to Lymington via Lyndhurst.

n The A31 near Winchester from the Percy Hobbs roundabout to the junction with the A33, scene of 17 crashes, four serious or fatal since 2006.

n The A3057 between Romsey and the M271, which has seen 22 collisions in the past five years, four serious.

n A one-mile stretch of the A27 Church Hill and Moorhill Road at West End after 20 crashes in the past five years.

n Fair Oak Road in Bishopstoke where there have been six serious or fatal crashes since 2006 Councillor Mel Kendal, environment and transport boss, said: “Roads are the arteries that keep our economy going and it is important that people can safely travel on them to go about their day-today business.

“Although it is impossible to eliminate the risks of accidents completely, a lower speed limit, in suitable circumstances, can help significantly to reduce the level of risk on appropriate routes.”

The speed limit review has followed Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines.

The DfT recommended threshold is a collision rate of 35 per 100 million vehicle kilometres.

This is breached in 42 spots on roads in the Daily Echo circulation area, all of which are recommended for reductions of between 10mph and 20mph.

List of recommended speed limit changes

Comments(20)

Niel says...
2:01pm Fri 13 Jan 12

Hummm, so main roads with further reductions, IF they are obeyed. Take the A27 at from Segenswoth to Fareham, it was a 60, it's now a 40, drunken pedestrians and 'garden centre' users turning across fast moving traffic caused that change, yet most days I'm passed by car drivers doing considerably more...
Then the A27 at Fareham, 40, dropping to 30 for traffic light controlled junctions, because speeding drivers jumped the lights, they still do...
The 30 limit along Highland Road, regularly ignored, and along Hill Park Road not its not just ignored a Black Punto X607 OBE is regularly seen (and timed) doing 50 PLUS, its a residential area, its been reported, HantsPlod just wring their hands and do diddly, even though there's a blind double bend with a blind junction and a history of KSI crashes there!!!

As for Fair Oak Road, parts of that were 60 limit in the past, but slower speeds, and 'in car distractions' (Prat nav's/mobiles etc) mean drivers concentrate less and crash more!