Review into safety on Croydon's most accident-strewn road
By Cherry Wilson
cherry.wilson@essnmedia.co.uk
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ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT: London Road in Thornton Heath
Safety measures on a busy stretch of road in Thornton Heath are set to be improved after it was revealed there have been 78 accidents there in just three years.
Transport bosses are set to carry out a full review of a stretch of London Road to try and find out why there have been so many collisions.
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A dozen of the 78 accidents have involved people being seriously injured and this has led to concerns being raised about the safety of the road.
Transport for London (TfL), which looks after the road, says it will look at where improvements could be made after carrying out a full collision study next year.
It will be focusing on the stretch of road that goes from Northborough Road to Thornton Road.
Bensham Manor councillor, Alison Butler, is concerned about the high number of accidents and would like to see more safety features on the road.
She believes that extra pedestrian crossings and cameras that flash up a driver's speed should be installed on the site.
"The figures are quite shocking," she said. "I didn't realise the road was so dangerous.
"It's got a high density of traffic, particularly during the rush hour, as it is a major transport route into central London.
"There is a high level of cars and pedestrians in the area so investment in safety is really important.
"It's got so much traffic driving in and out the side roads and, when you get a build up of traffic, people take risks.
"They don't want to wait and you'll see people crossing between cars and driving round other vehicles to cut down the side roads."
London Road is one of two sites in Croydon that have been identified by TfL as having a high rate of collisions.
It will also be carrying out a review of Park Hill Road and Chepstow Road where there have been 10 accidents in the last three years - one of which involved people being seriously injured.
A Transport for London spokesman said: "The London Road Safety Unit has identified two sites in Croydon in their provisional programme at which to carry out a full collision study during 2009/10.
"The full collision study will review the circumstances behind all collisions which occurred at these two sites within the last 36 months with a look to identify where safety improvements can be made along these roads."
Comments
by Kevin, Caterham, Reigate Toowoomba
Tuesday, December 22 2009, 2:51AM
“Gosh lets continue to have numerous reviews to improve probs which cannot be solved.
Think outside the square and flatten 30 miles wide the area south of Thames to Purley.
Then rebuild wider streets, over and underpasses, public transport, industrial, office, domestic and sports facilites with parkland and do the same in other UK cities.
Your infrastructure has been too inadequate for 40 years and putting up a sign here and painting a yellow line there will solve nothing.
We send people in all recycled areas to 100 newly created Middle East and North Africa work camps for 10 years to enjoy a new culture and get away from such narrow vision.”
by myself, Thornton Heath
Thursday, December 17 2009, 10:17PM
“Too many drivers are impatient and in to much of a hurry to get from A to B. They have little regard for other road users, push in, cut up and overtake on the inside just to cut a few minutes off of their journey.”
by David, Croydon
Thursday, December 17 2009, 10:22AM
“I used to cycle along this road to and from work most days. Really it just comes down to poor driving. Often people try to push through gaps that aren't there.
I remember one very near crash that could have been disasterous on that stretch of road. An ambulance was driving on the northbound side of the road, sirens blaring, at a fairly brisk pace. A driver heading south decided he could make the turn, possibly to get out of the non-moving queue of traffic, before the ambulance arrived. I still to this day don't know how the ambulance managed to avoid crashing into the turning car. Whatever measures are implemented this sort of thing will still happen.”
by Mr.Angry, Purley
Thursday, December 17 2009, 10:08AM
“Definately vehicles coming out of side roads forcibly are a big problem some of them should be blocked to stop the many 'rat runs'.This is well overdue Tfl should act earlier.”
by The3rd, Croydon
Thursday, December 17 2009, 9:03AM
“It does not surprise me that there are so many accidents in Thornton Heath. The people in that area drive like maniacs.
They do 3 point turns in the middle of a main road. People stop in the middle of the road to have conversations while there is a queue of traffic behind him. People try to over take you on the high street, even though there is no where to go!
Then again, the pedestrians are just as bad, walking right out into traffic expecting cars to stop for them.
But as soon as you get out of Thornton Heath it's less crazy.
Thornton Heath is backwards. I would recommend banning everyone in the 'heath' from driving.”