Safety call after teen hit off bike

Clewer: Boy in collision near ‘dangerous’ roundabout

Calls to increase safety measures near a ‘dangerous’ roundabout in Mill Lane have becoming increasingly urgent after a teenager was knocked off his bike last week.

Residents who live near the mini roundabout say the incident, which left the teenage boy with minor injuries, is the ‘final wake up call’ to the council.

Father-of-two Martin Gibbons has lived near the junction in Mill Lane for two and a half years.

“I have had to slam my brakes on multiple times to avoid a massive crash,” he told the Express.

“It can be confusing because it’s a roundabout that doesn’t function like a proper roundabout.”

The roundabout was removed during the 2012 Olympics to allow an easier flow of traffic but was reinstated following a public consultation.

Susy Shearer, secretary of the Windsor and Maidenhead Cycling Action Group, said: "The latest shocking near-fatal collision, involving a young cyclist on the Mill Lane roundabout at the egress of Clewer Village, is further proof that dangerous conditions there must now be addressed comprehensively as a matter of urgency.”

In November 2019 a public meeting resulted in a vehicle activated sign being installed near the roundabout.

The group is calling on the council to replace the zebra crossing in Maidenhead Road to a raised toucan crossing and to set the speed camera installed on the road to 30 miles per hour instead of its current setting of 40 miles per hour.

Councillor Gerry Clark, lead member for transport and infrastructure, said: “We have recently introduced measures designed to improve the safety of pedestrians and road users at the mini roundabout in Mill Lane, however we take seriously the ongoing concerns expressed by local residents. We are therefore looking at additional improvements to the area to address road safety concerns for pedestrians and road users, while at the same time balancing the need to maintain traffic flows on this main travel corridor in the borough.”