Midlands road safety campaigners hail change on fatal crash blackspot
Campaigners have hailed new safety measures on a notorious major road in Worcestershire following a number of fatal incidents. Nine people have reportedly died and others severely injured in crashes on the A46 around Evesham[1].
Lives claimed on the A46 around Evesham include 39-year-old Wallace Wakeling, from Leamington Spa in Warwickshire[2]. Much-loved Wallace died after a three-vehicle accident involving his car, another motor and a lorry in November 2020.
After campaigners petitioned for changes, National Highways said earlier this year it was temporarily reducing the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph over a 1.5km stretch of the A46 from Hinton Cross to Sedgeberrow[3]. New signs and road markings have now been installed from just north of Hinton Cross.
National Highways has said campaigners visited the site earlier this month on July 14 to hear about the impact the measures have had. The company’s Head of Planning and Development Victoria Lazenby said they had seen a “big change in driver behaviour” since the new measures were completed in May.
She continued: “Slowing the traffic on the main A46 now gives vehicles wanting to join from the local side roads extra time to complete their manoeuvres safely. It’s definitely had a positive effect on the local community.
“Safety is our highest priority at National Highways and we are always happy to listen to concerns and suggestions from people at the heart of a community to address the issues in hand.”
Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, added: “I am pleased that the 40 miles per hour limit is now active and I feel it is key that the local police step up their efforts to enforce the new limit. We all hope that this will bring about better driver behaviour and a reduction in the number of accidents along this road.”
Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire, said he was pleased to see that National Highways had listened to the local community, adding: “This I am sure will reduce collisions and make this major road far safer for all who travel on it.”
In recent weeks, there have been concerns over road safety in nearby Birmingham following a number of tragic deaths and injuries on its roads. Birmingham Live’s people and politics editor Jane Haynes put questions to Birmingham City Council[5] transport lead Cllr Liz Clements, cycling and walking tsar Adam Tranter, hospitals’ trauma doc Justine Lee, the campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham and West Midlands Police[6].
Dr Justine Lee, major trauma specialist at University[7] Hospitals Birmingham NHS[8] Trust, became emotional as she spoke of the impact on those hurt and killed, their families and the frontline workers who have to see up close the damage done. Out of up to 3,000 people requiring major trauma surgery and treatment in Birmingham every year, around a quarter (750) have been involved in road crashes.
References
- ^ Evesham (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Warwickshire (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ temporarily reducing the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph over a 1.5km stretch of the A46 from Hinton Cross to Sedgeberrow (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Costco, Asda and Morrisons petrol prices as supermarkets face questions over ‘sky high’ costs (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Birmingham City Council (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ West Midlands Police (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Dr Justine Lee, major trauma specialist at University (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ NHS (www.birminghammail.co.uk)