Speeding drivers spark fears over road safety

Fears over speeding in Shifnal are growing after more than 160 cars were clocked in one hour breaking the speed limit along one road, according to a road safety group.

The fastest vehicle clocked on the Haughton Road was doing 60mph on the 30mph limit road, campaigners claim. The Shifnal Road Safety Group carried out the speed check after fears were raised by residents at a public meeting.

Housing developers Lioncourt Homes held a public exhibition in the town detailing their plans to build 400 homes off Haughton Road.

Kevin Turley, spokesman for the road safety group, said they had carried out checks on Haughton Road and Haughton Lane in response to the residents' concerns.

He said: "They are good straight roads and people seem to fly along them.

"Haughton Road is horrendous. There have been fatalities along there in the past two to three years."

Mr Turley said during the checks they recorded 260 vehicles travelling down Haughton Road in one hour.

Of those, more than 160 were doing more than 30mph with more than 130 travelling at speeds greater than 35mph.

Mr Turley said the group was due to hold talks with Lioncourt Homes next week to look at how the developers could tackle the problem.

"If the developers are considering Haughton Road then we hope they will look at roundabouts and traffic calming measures.

"Thankfully there are no schools down that road."

Andy Faizey, strategic land director at Lioncourt Homes, said: "We are to walk Haughton Road with a view to identifying where the problem lies and will then ask our consultants to consider, in conjunction with the highway authority, what improvements can be made that will reduce traffic speeds.

"We should be clear, however, the issue is one of speed rather than traffic volume."

Haughton Road heads out of Shifnal towards Telford, passing through a sandstone cutting.

Mr Turley added: "We are concerned about this stretch, as the road becomes narrow there.

"We are compiling the figures on traffic and speeds along that stretch at the moment."