Calls for more safety measures along London Road following third crash in six months
SAFETY measures need to be brought in urgently at an accident blackspot following the third crash in just six months.
That is the view of Azad Hussein after a woman had to be cut free from her car close to Koloshi Restaurant in London Road, Charlton Kings, during the early hours of yesterday morning.
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DANGEROUS: The blue Peugeot crashed close to Koloshi Restaurant
The blue Peugeot crashed into the restaurant's car park at 3.20am yesterday.
It left the 28-year-old female driver from Cheltenham trapped in the car as rescue services from Cheltenham East and Cheltenham West fire stations worked to cut her free.
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Firefighters had to cut off the vehicle's roof to get her out. She was taken by ambulance to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital with neck and back injuries. A spokesman for the South West Ambulance Service said the injuries were not thought to be serious. Figures from Gloucestershire Highways showed there have been more than 100 crashes between Cheltenham and Andoversford since 2001, resulting in nine deaths.
Mr Hussein said he was fed up with the situation and that something needed to be done by the authorities.
He added: "It happens here all the time. It's something that need to be stopped, and the authorities have to do something about it.
"They might have to lower the speed limit, because drivers come round too fast on that sharp bend. When the roads are clear at night, people tend to go quicker.
"When I drive around there, I drive very carefully. It's a dangerous road, and we need something done as soon as possible."
Highways manager Bob Skillern said there were plans last year to introduce safety improvements to the stretch of the A40.
Work was due to start on December 10, including new signs, vehicle activated signs and road markings.
In November, a man was left in a critical condition following a head-on collision near Dowdeswell Reservoir.
Just 24 hours later, emergency services had to re-close the road following a second smash.
11 Comments
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by safeandnice
Saturday, March 09 2013, 5:32PM
“There's no dispute that drivers are making a mistake and having an accident there. Did any of them go out that day and say - 'I think I'll have a crash at that regular spot on the A40' ?
If nothing changes every 3-4 months another accident and we ll come back here and cry 'drivers fault' again.
Cost of each accident £100,000 a time?
Cost of moving the manhole, improving drainage, adjusting the line of the road is what?
Who's next”
by buffersyeoman
Saturday, March 09 2013, 8:48AM
“This is NOT a dangerous road! What else would drivers like the authorities to do?
It is the driver, end of story!!”
by safeandnice
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 7:58PM
“That's the problem bellyflop. People are driving to conditions. Driving to the conditions they think they can see. None of them will be intending to crash
Something is catching them out. what is it?”
by Bellyflop
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 10:43AM
“I regularly travel this road and have done for the past 50 years. I have never had an issue with it.The reason that accidents occur on this road is that motorist take the bends too fast. Read Newton's law of motion and they will explain why you will leave the road if you try to speed around corners.As far as I am concerned the road is fine as it is, just drive according to road conditions.”
by safeandnice
Monday, March 04 2013, 11:13PM
“The picture isnt that useful. The car looks worse than it was because the roofs been cut off and dropped back on.
It could be any number of factors, but accidents at this spot are too common place. Reaching for a speed limit doesnt uncover the problem. There are many sharp bends on many similar local roads. Most of them can be navigtaed without issue. Something about this bend is catching out some motorists if they take the wrong line.
Last time around there was mention of a slippery manhole cover. Early in the morning was there a chance of ice or dew?”
by Matt1006
Monday, March 04 2013, 5:36PM
“dibblebibble - careful, you're jumping to conclusions as much as Mr. Hussein is. He says the road is at fault, you're saying it's all down to driver error. Until the accident investigation reports are made available, we don't know.
The photo of the Peugeot involved in this latest accident appears to show that it's front offside tyre is flat - that may well have happened as the car was crashing, but could also be the cause of the accident. We just don't know. As the accident happened at 3.20am, it could be that an animal ran across the road in front of the car, causing the driver to lose control as she took evasive action. Or she may have taken evasive action to avoid another vehicle, perhaps being driven erratically (possible, given the time it happened). We just don't know. The only person who might know exactly what happened is the driver of the car itself, and she will have provided a statement to the police. And to her insurers.”
by RoadWombat
Monday, March 04 2013, 5:18PM
“Cue the bleating for a lower speed limit - the stock answer of the ignorant and ill-informed.
"But someone might get killed one day..."
I think people have indeed been killed here in the past, as they have on a great many roads in our county. But knee-jerk imposition of speed limits, paint and silly road engineering penalises everyone for little, if any, overall gain.”
by dibblebibble
Monday, March 04 2013, 4:05PM
“So Koloshi guy is blaming speed? He says,..."They might have to lower the speed limit, because drivers come round too fast on that sharp bend."
So, we put a new sign up saying 40 instead of 50, and low and behold everyone slows down?
Um...no! If people speed anyway then lowering the speed limit will not slow those particular people down. They will still take the corner too fast wether it's 50 or 40.
I've travelled that road hundreds of times over my 30+ years of driving and I have never come off worse there...why? Because I slow down according to the conditions of the road.
The fact is, it's driver error, not road error. Simple as that.”
by Cotswold Connection
Monday, March 04 2013, 3:56PM
“This stretch of road can be extremely dangerous and it is always a great shame when someone is injured or killed however it is no worse than many other roads in and around the country.
Provided that people drive according to the road conditions and within the speed limits then many of these accidents may never have happened.
In days gone by there was a speed camera just before "The Resevoir" pub which to a degree did act as a deterrent slowing vehicles into the offending bend. I believe that in the past that accidents have been caused by entering or leaving the Koloshi restaurant and perhaps a safer option for entering and leaving the restaurant would be to move the entrance to the Cheltenham side of the restaurant away from the bend.
I have lived on London Road for over 20 years and drive this stretch of the A40 most days to and from work. I treat this piece of road with the greatest of respect because if you aren't careful it will kill you.”
by halfdome1
Monday, March 04 2013, 10:19AM
“Regardless of the causes of the accidents, there is one heck of a drop off the road on the left as you head into Chelt. Many similar corners would have barriers, preventing cars from leaving the road (which I agree they 'shouldnt' - but they do)...as such a drop would make a bad situation a LOT worse.”