There are several factors that conspire to make the road as dangerous as it is currently. Firstly, the road is very narrow and therefore cars are not able to pass one another while vehicles are parked along the road. Secondly, there is only one pavement - in places it is less than a metre wide thus it is not possible to walk while holding the hands of 2 children. Thirdly, vehicles often speed through this 30mph zone. Fourthly, when cars are parked along the road and the flow is restricted to single-file traffic the safe speed is much less than 30mph; while most drivers will slow down to account for the change in road condition, there remains a few who do not. Fifthly, drivers often speed between the gaps; paradoxically, this is particularly noticeable right outside the gate where the double yellow lines are situated. Finally, from time to time cars mount the pavement, sometimes these vehicles are out of control as occurred on 27 Jun 14.
On Friday 27 Jun a vehicle was travelling so fast past St Patrick's school Corsham that the driver lost control, mounted the pavement and flipped on to its roof. It was a lucky coincidence that no one was injured, or worse, killed.
Unfortunately, the only available car parks in the area still necessitate using the same pavement plus an additional narrow pavement next to Methuen Arms public house; coincident with the area where the road narrows again; once more this leads to vehicles accelerating through the gap where the pedestrians are closest.
Many children have not yet developed the ability to judge speeds
and distances well enough to cross streets safely when cars are
moving fast, yet a vehicle mounting the pavement threatens the
safety of us all. We need to address this very real danger to
parent/carers/teachers and children alike before someone is
killed.
This ePetition ran from 01/07/2014 to 18/08/2014 and has now finished.
104 people signed this ePetition.