Are pedestrians safe on this stretch of Halbeath Road?
THERE have been fresh calls for speed checks in Dunfermline after several accidents on a short stretch of road.
One resident, who did not want to be named, claimed that there had been FIVE crashes within the space of 13 houses on Halbeath road since 2007, with the latest just last week.
He says more needs to be done to monitor dangerous driving, despite a police presence once every two weeks.
Inspector Darren Cook of the Road Policing Unit warned it was “not acceptable” for motorists to “risk their lives and the lives of others” through the behaviour.
One of the reported crashes, in the area between Lambert Drive and Scobie Place, was said to have “demolished” a garden wall in 2007, while another car hit a pedestrian at a later date.
The householder also said that there had been an incident where a police car, while pursuing an emergency, had rammed a car into a wall.
Most recently, around September 14 according to the resident, a car lost control and appears to have hit a tree.
He wrote: “The police safety vehicle (speed monitoring), appears circa once a fortnight, parking in this very stretch. When not present, motorists will drive at all speeds.
“There has not been a speed check using the two-cable system since 2010 because the police do not want to curtail their ability to speed in an emergency.”
Councillor James Calder, who is convener for the City of Dunfermline area committee, said he had been made aware of accidents and would be in contact with officers to see if there was “scope” for speed checks.
He told the Press: “Whenever I’ve got in touch with the police they have been very proactive. I found them helpful and willing to listen.
“It is a bit of a busy area of road as well, I am sure there can be action if there are concerns.”
Inspector Cook added: “We do receive complaints about speeding on our roads in Fife and there is no excuse for this driver behaviour.
“It is just not acceptable that a minority of drivers are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others.
“We carry out patrols to target those speeding and work alongside other road safety agencies to highlight the importance of driving safely.
“Enforcement action will be taken if you are caught speeding.” Fife Council were contacted for comment but did not respond by the time the Press went to print.