Camera plan to cut crossroads speed
Friday 6th February 2009, 3:15PM GMT.
Claire Bennett with the council plans for the junction
Drivers in Shrewsbury attempting to jump traffic lights at a “dangerous” crossroads will be snapped by a spy camera as part of a £750,000 scheme to improve safety.
It is just one of a series of measures set to be implemented at the Harlescott crossroads following safety concerns.
Nurse Claire Bennett, of Sundorne, Shrewsbury, who set up a group on social networking site Facebook at the weekend demanding immediate action from highways bosses, said she welcomed the plans.
She viewed the proposals along with Councillor Jon Tandy on Wednesday at a closed meeting at Shirehall.
Shropshire County Council officials invited them along after the group grew to more than 300 members.
Mrs Bennett, whose son was a schoolfriend of 14-year-old Ben Somers who died close to the junction in October when he was knocked off his bike, said the council was proposing to introduce an Intelligent Light System similar to the one at Dobbies Island.
“They will put in traffic calming measures and they want to have the speed limit reduced from 40mph to 30mph and they are also considering using a red light camera to stop people speeding off too quickly,” she said.
Mrs Bennett, 34, said the camera would be on the Battlefield Road side heading towards Whitchurch Road and people jumping the lights could get a £60 fine.
She was disappointed the dual lanes would not be removed but was told they would be extended to stop people speeding to cut in.
Councillor Tandy said the camera would help stop people racing each other before the lanes merged.
Hugh Dannatt, county council group manager highways and traffic engineering, said anyone with queries could write to Highways and Traffic Engineering, Economy and Environment, Shropshire County Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND.
By Russell Roberts
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More Over the Top knee jerk reactions that will papralyse two business parks… Well done Shrewsbury councillors.
What were the circumstances of the tragic accident? Did the cyclists have lights on? Safety equipment? Were they riding in a manner suitable for the circumstances?
Who cares? Lets just punish thousands of drivers who have to use the route to get to and from work. Probably add 30 minutes to everyone’s commute, which means more fuel, more cost, more pollution, more stress for eveyone all round and for what?
Will these measures save one life? Doubtful as anyone who is prepared to drive like a maniac isnt likely to care one way or the other about any type of camera enforcement system, on the other hand it will no doubt squeeze a few more drops of cash off our hard pressed motorists and lead to more just throwing in the towel and going on the dole.
Bravo Shrewsbury Council!
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Good! Then they need to add similar cameras to the new traffic light system at Ketley Brook roundabout too, especially for that come down off the retail park by Tesco’s. I’ve lost count of how many times I had to swerve to avoid being hit by yet another idiot that has jumped the red light because he/she was going too fast or just couldn’t be bothered to stop!
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From experience, the people who do use the extra lane to cut ahead have been stuck behind drivers who insist on driving at 30mph down a straight, 40mph road.
Yes, petrol heads really get up your nose for their lack of patience, but so do drivers who hold you up by consistently driving too slow. The whole road doesn’t need to be a 30mph zone when the most dangerous part is around that crossroads.
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Call me picky but how on earth can an advertised camera in anyway be considered a ‘spy’ camera?
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Very commendable and I fully endorse any safety measures that will save lives,BUT £750,000. 3/4 MILLION POUNDS I would love to see the breakdown of those figures. That is a rediculous amount of money. There again it doesn’t matter how they spend OUR money does it?
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I want to understand who is funding this work. This should be paid for by ‘proceeds’ of other cameras in the town not by council tax payers – anyone know this ???
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Andy, very nasty comment “who cares” !! Hopefully nobody in your family will suffer an accident.Im not sure if you use the mentioned junction, but it ceratinly WON’T add 30 minutes to anyones journey time.
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I just see this as yet another ill-thought out example of “road safety improvements” that consist of nothing more than the reactive threat of fines, which do absolutely nothing to address the problem “at source”.
How the heck does a fine, posted 14 days after the “offence” prevent the “offence” from occurring in the first place? How will introducing traffic calming and reduced speed limits reduce the chance of accidents? Would the dead boy have been saved if he was hit at 30? I doubt it very much.
This is just another example of those in power treating all drivers like idiots. And if you treat people like idiots, then they will act as such.
Also, “confused” does seem confused. Accidents happen. They always have, and they always will. That is their very nature. Even if you ban cars altogether and replace them with equine power, accidents will still happen as a cyclist, somewhere, would still get killed by skidding on a pile of horse excrement. What would you do then? Ban the feeding of horses?
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more european regulations getting in the way of me trying to drive, i hate them all, all these european rules, we wont be able to drive anywhere pretty soon
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tory boy you are mad – safety regulations save lives whether from eu or un or uk goverment, we should welcome ”red tape” when it makes us safer
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Peter,
Read Tory Boy’s post again. Where did he say “Safety” regulations?
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