More crashes occur at Fiveways junction than anywhere else in Croydon
By Gareth Davies
gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk
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ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT: The Fiveways junction in Waddon
If you have to drive over Fiveways today take extra care - as it can be revealed as Croydon's most dangerous junction.
Newly obtained figures show more crashes occurred there than anywhere else in the borough between September 2008 and May 2009.
Statistics obtained by the Advertiser through a Freedom of Information request also reveal two people are injured on Croydon's roads every single day.
Between the same dates five people were killed and 70 left with serious injuries.
Over the period the figures cover there were 616 crashes resulting in injuries in 273 days.
One of the borough's busiest junctions, Fiveways - as the name suggests - sees five roads merging, in Waddon.
There were six separate crashes there, putting it well ahead of the next most dangerous junctions, which had three crashes.
When it comes to roads in their entirety, the busiest and longest roads are the ones where the most crashes occurred.
Brighton Road saw 58 separate crashes, London Road 40 and Purley Way 38.
The crash involving the highest number of vehicles occurred at the junction of Brighton Road and Woodplace Lane, Coulsdon, with six cars involved.
Luckily on this occasion just two people were left with minor injuries.
Carole Walker, from Napier Road, South Croydon, is concerned there have been three crashes where her road meets Brighton Road.
She said: "It's a worry because it's a busy road, quite near a school.
"You have to be very careful because someone could step out of a blind spot at any moment."
Phil Thomas, the council's highways chief, says there is only so much the authority can do.
He said: "Accidents in Croydon have been going down for the last four years, ever since we have been in control of the council.
"There are always going to be to particular hotspots.
"What I can say is we are spending a great deal of money to redress traffic safety in the borough.
"The problem is that we have a number of bad drivers in Croydon, as with elsewhere in the country, so no matter what we do we are reliant on people following the Highway Code.
"You only have to drive round here for a few minutes to see how bad some people are."
CROYDON'S MOST DANGEROUS JUNCTIONS
*Number of accidents between September 2008 and May 2009
Fiveways - 6
Purley Way/Drury Crescent - 3
Brighton Road/Sanderstead Road - 3
Brighton Road/Haling Road - 3
Brighton Road/Purley Downs - 3
Brighton Road/ Old Lodge Lane - 3
Brighton Road/Napier Road - 3
Brighton Road/Whytecliffe Road South - 3
6 Comments
by Jack, Croydon
Monday, October 12 2009, 7:48PM
“Once again a great example of nothing being done where it needs to be done!
Repainting the lines might help least then people might know which lane to be in.”
by Cathy, york
Sunday, October 11 2009, 7:35PM
“When I used to live in Croydon I used 5ways alot....never had a problem...all down to understanding traffic flows... northerners would not have a clue....can't even cope with a simple roundabout!!!”
by Mr.Angry, Purley
Sunday, October 11 2009, 6:33PM
“Death trap place and the older the car the worse the driver,fact.Cops?They couldnt give a damn too busy taking breaks.”
by David, South Croydon
Saturday, October 10 2009, 9:28PM
“As said in the article, there are too many bad drivers. People are too worried about saving a second here or there rather than worrying whether what they are doing is dangerous.
The real answer would be more police in cars dealing with bad drivers, but clearly that isn't going to happen any time soon.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Saturday, October 10 2009, 2:46PM
“I avoid Fiveways like the plague.”
by RobinHood, Croydon
Saturday, October 10 2009, 10:00AM
“The roads are not wide enough on the approaches to Fiveways.Knock down a few houses and duplicated retail outlets to give the boy racers a sporting chance”