After some reflection, road safety mirror plan rejected
HIGHWAYS officers have rejected residents' calls for a roadside mirror to be installed at a busy junction – because of Government rules.
The mirror was wanted at the junction of Flatts Road and Knypersley Road, in Norton, because drivers' views are obscured by parked cars.
-
DANGER: The junction of Flatts Road and Knypersley Road.
Seventeen residents submitted a petition calling for the safety improvements opposite the Flatts Road junction.
But Stoke-on-Trent City Council has turned down the request.
Ruark HiFi - for lovers of good music and fantastic sound
Headphone offer is our own offer as test for these vouchers - so don't delay offer expires 25/05/13
Terms:
Only with this voucher, choose a set of headphones up to 10% of the units price or add some to it if you want a dearer set
ie Unit for £300 would give you £30 towards headphones of your choice
Contact: 01782 342609
Valid until: Saturday, May 25 2013
Pensioners David and Jackie Ainsworth, of Flatts Road, started the petition years after their daughter, Samantha, was involved in a crash at the junction.
Mr Ainsworth, who has lived at Flatts Road since 1971, said: "Because of the way the road bends and dips and the amount of cars parked along the road, it can be very dangerous to pull out.
"You have to go out a far way into the road before you can see if a car is coming, and it's not a slow road – people don't necessarily stick to 30mph.
"My daughter's car was hit from the left but it was because she was trying to see around the parked cars in Knypersley Road. We decided to try to do something because we don't want anything more serious to happen."
Mrs Ainsworth said: "We don't want the council to put yellow lines on Knypersley Road because that wouldn't be fair on the people living there, and it would probably cost more.
"We don't want to infringe on anyone else's ability to park, we just want to make it safer.
"It's an issue everyone in Flatts Road feels strongly about."
Edmond Holdcroft, aged 71, of Knypersley Road, said: "When you come out of Flatts Road it's very difficult to see – it's dangerous.
"Even if there are just two or three cars parked there it can obscure your view of the road.
"People go quickly along here and there have been a couple of crashes over the years."
City councillors have considered the Ainsworths's petition before passing it to highways officers.
City Councillor Ruth Rosenau, cabinet member of transportation, said: "We have listened to Mr Ainsworth's concerns and will explore his suggestion as to whether introducing parking restrictions on a section of Kynpersley Road would improve the road safety.
"The Government's Department for Transport doesn't authorise the use of mirrors on the highway so that is not an option.
"We will keep Mr Ainsworth up to date on our findings following a detailed investigation of the site."
Comments
by FFDP1
Wednesday, January 09 2013, 6:43AM
“Mirrors bring more dangers then they remove. The only way forward is to enforce the speed limit better and to impose parking restrictions.”
by Packmovaliant
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 7:19PM
“They'd rather waste money on resurfacing roads with chippings like Turnhurst Road Packmoor,we haven't really had a lot of frost yet and it's coming off and it as only been down about 4 months,so putting a mirror up that could possibly save lives!! don't make me laugh its a joke.”