Camera call at accident blackspot
Wednesday 4th March 2009, 1:29PM GMT.
Speed cameras could be installed along a notorious stretch of a Shropshire road where a number of young people have died in crashes.
Shropshire County Council has asked the Safer Roads Partnership to review the A495 between Ellesmere and Oswestry after 20-year-old Michael Jones, from Oswestry, died in a crash there at the weekend.
It comes after the county council said the accident rate between January 2003 and December 2007 was “below the national average” so was not currently programmed for further works. There were two fatal accidents on the road in that time.
Jennifer Fullard, Shropshire County Council’s communications officer for transport and highways, said: “We have also requested that the Safer Roads Partnership review this route for possible safety camera sites.”
Corrine Thomas, 24, Robert McLoughlin, 19, and Kiera Smyth, 18, died in a crash on the A495 in May last year, between Whittington and Welsh Frankton.
Hayley Roberts, 17, died after a road accident on the A495 between Ellesmere and Whittington in December 2006.
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson said: “I offer my sympathies to the families of all involved and I am very pleased that the county council have agreed to review this stretch of road.”
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
As much as I detest speed cameras, it should solve the problem in this case. Youngsters use that stretch of road as a race track. Alternatively, let’s have some traffic officers driving that road and stamping down on dangerous driving.
Report abuse
This is unfortunate, but it is not a dangerous stretch of road. Speed, contrary to opinion does not kill. Poor judgement, lack of control, inexperience and chance can conspire against you though. There are a couple of sweeping bends and some straights with a hidden dip. Strangely there has never been a sign warning of the dip. Surely that makes more sense than another ‘police cash machine’. There is a camera on the Gobowen road in Oswestry by McLarens, but having lived in the vicinity for ten years I can’t recall a fatal crash. So maybe there is no logical rhyme or reason for the situation of signs or cameras.
Report abuse
“This is unfortunate, but it is not a dangerous stretch of road. Speed, contrary to opinion does not kill”.
What a silly statement, but if it is a pedantic play on words then it is true, “speed does not kill”.
What “kills” is the injuries resulting from a collision which results from speed.
Perhaps you can quote the authority for saying “speed does not kill”. I am sure many authorities are dying to hear.
Report abuse
The solution here lies in improvements to the road. Why do so many accidents occur in along this stretch of road in comparison to others in the area?
Speed alone cannot be the cause.
I suspect the road needs flattening and straightening, but would bow to the opinion of experts.
Speed cameras are not the answer in my opinion.
Report abuse
Flattening and straightening the road will cause more accidents. People use it as a race track already, those ‘improvments’ will make it faster. If people observed the speed limit and actually drove at or below the limit there would be fewer incidents. Yesterday i was overtaken in the same area whilst i was doing the legal limit of 60mph. There is a blatant disregard for the speed limits in this area and not just on that road. The law needs enforcing otherwise we will just continue to have accidents caused by people who think they are excempt from the law.
Report abuse
Stuart,
You say “speed kills”
Water,Gas, Electricity, drink, smoking, drugs all kill if used in the wrong context or not controlled. Speed only kills when it is not controlled properly, just as all the other elements that I mention and a whole lot more that we couldn’t live without.
Without speed there would be no movement.
Report abuse
I just hate Bureaucrats who sit on their backsides juggling with statistics.
Why do they not, perhaps one day per week, get out on the road and visually view notorious stretches of roads. Then if they have half a brain, they could think up some solutions.
For example, more elaborate road signage, special colouring of centre lines in death zones, even road bumps at some points.
Cameras, in this modern age, could be TRIGGERED by speed measuring devices to catch culprits. It may well be found that a link with alcohol can be established in some cases.
Report abuse
GAVIN BRAIN? I don’t think so!
Perhaps the reason that you can’t recall a crash on: “the Gobowen road in Oswestry by McLarens,” is simply because the CAMERA is there! Excuse the dig!
They also help to control speed which is the whole point.
However, your point about, sweeping bends and some straights with hidden dips, is very valid. They are especially dangerous at night and should invite HUGE WARNING REFLECTIVE
SIGNS. The trouble is, Council will scream POVERTY, while their Salaries are disgustingly high. Material greed is the driving force in Britain and Australia today.
Report abuse
Brilliant deduction Brian(2). I am also intelligent. Please stop splitting hairs – you know very well what context “speed” was being talked about.
Shall we repeat it for all to see just in case they don’t know, – “WITHOUT SPEED THERE WOULD BE NO MOVEMENT”. There – and the real point that you were trying to make.?
Report abuse
The point, Stuart, is that bad driving kills….NOT speeding. I broke a speed limit on Saturday but I DIDN’T kill anyone.
Get some real life experiences and don’t just believe everything that you read in a newspaper.
Report abuse
That is not even worth a reply. To juvenile for words.
Report abuse
Ok Stuart, let’s make this simple for you.
You say that speed kills? Speed is a measure of distance/time so what speed exactly is likely to kill you?
That should be esy enough to answer.
Report abuse
Unfortunately, Stuart,
the “speed kills” lobbyists have very few answers to a very poorly thought out catchphrase and people who quote it “willy nilly”, without thinking it through, make themselves look stupid.
There are many factors involved in what makes a fatality on the road and “speed” obviously plays a part because without speed there would be no movement. Speed alone won’t kill you.
Only about 3% of accidents are down to “excessive” speed. Bad driving and driver error accounts for many more. Our faster roads ( motorways) are some of the safest and our slowest (urban) are some of the areas where most accidents occur so where do you get your idea that speed is so dangerous?
Report abuse