Action urged at junction as ‘boy racers endanger lives’
Boy racers are speeding more on a Bath road during the lockdown and could kill someone, a safety campaigner claims.
Joseph Collins says he is alarmed by the high number of speeding incidents at the junction of Claverton Down Road and Oakley, where the 20mph limit is “ignored”.
He argues there is proof the road is “very unsafe” and that “nobody sticks to the speed limit”.
Mr Collins claims a Freedom of Information request revealed there were nearly 1,500 speeding incidents along a part of Claverton Down Road - from Claverton Down Community Hall and the junction with Copseland - between 2016-18.
But his fears about the ongoing dangers of the road are falling on “deaf ears”, he says.
Speed cameras and speed bumps could make the area safer, Mr Collins, of Claverton Down Road, believes.
He said: “We have lived here for a few years. There is a 20mph limit but cars come at 30mph or more.
“Nobody sticks to the speed limit.
It is a very unsafe area to walk along the pavement and go along the road. People cross that road all day.”
He added: “We have tried to make changes happen, such as doing signature collections (nearly 400), and we have written to the council but it has fallen on deaf ears.
“Drivers come flying down Claverton Down Road, regularly ignore the 20mph speed limit, and then fail to indicate when turning down Oakley or Widcombe Hill.”
Mr Collins added: “It is an accident black spot. Even though the roads have been quieter during the lockdown, I think people are speeding more.
“You get boy racers coming along here in the early hours and late at night.
“This road poses a serious risk to people’s lives at the moment.”
In a letter to the council, Mr Collins said the danger of this area warrants “urgent” attention.
His letter said: “On January 26, 2019, three separate accidents involving police were counted by 2pm in the afternoon.
“In the last accident, according to the police officer at the scene, one car was travelling in excess of 20mph and bumped the other car on to the pavement.
“If a pedestrian had been walking there at that time, the consequences would have been serious, likely fatal.”
Cllr Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for transport services, said: “I fully understand the concerns expressed regarding excessive speed and road safety at the junction of Oakley and Claverton Down Road and our wider commitment is to encourage a shift in the way people travel; removing traffic from roads, encouraging people to walk and cycle more.
“I’m keen that this junction is considered in the wider area bounded by Oakley, Claverton Down Road and Copesland and it is the council’s intention to develop proposals for this area, however we do not yet have a timescale for this work.”