One of the greatest concerns in virtually every village in Britain. Speeding vehicles that cause irritation and potential accidents is a blight that never goes away.
The onset of white van deliveries that have made our lives “easier” has also created rat runs everywhere, where, in defence of their drivers, they have to rip about the countryside to complete their 80 – 90 deliveries per day!
Yet we have all witnessed the reckless private driver that also rips through the village way above 30 mph. The two sharp bends near the war memorial do little to slow traffic, these drivers clip the corners to ease the severity of the bends creating a further hazard to road users.
The problem has long been a festering sore. The Parish Council have routinely arranged speed checks completed by the police and DMBC which revealed a small number of speeding vehicles. However, the local feeling is that nothing will change until (hopefully not) someone is very seriously injured, or worse!
We have been in contact with an organisation called “20’S Plenty for us”, and we will be talking further with them to take advice on the best way to persuade our lords and masters (DMBC) to take this matter seriously enough to impose a 20 mph limit, at least along that part of Grange Lane from the Skellow end up to and beyond the War Memorial.
The principle at play here is that, if people typically drive at 10 – 20% above the limit, reducing the limit to 20 would mean that typical speeds would be 25 mph instead of 35, thus reducing the risk of death or serious injury.
There are lots of such reduced speed limit areas springing up around urban area, particularly in the vicinity of schools etc, and residential areas with relatively narrow streets. We don’t have either of those scenarios, but the width and layout of Grange Lane do make it a stretch where accidents are more likely to happen.
Let’s hope we can make a difference!