Reduce speed limit to stop A12 crashes, campaigners say

10:40am Sunday 6th January 2013 in News By Helen Barnett

A CAMPAIGN to reduce the speed limit of a busy road to stop crashes has begun.

A 50mph speed limit on the A12 around Dedham Vale has been requested by worried residents fearful there will be another fatality on the road.

They say there have been 87 serious crashes between the three mile stretch between Junction 31 for East Bergholt and Gun Hill near Le Talbooth (marked on map) over the last five years.

Campaigners also blame the number of collisions on short slip roads and a waiting area in the central reservation to cross the B1068 to Stoke by Nayland.

As well as a reduced speed limit they would like to see average speed check cameras installed.

Click here to sign the petition.

Comments(11)

Acejax says...
11:20am Sun 6 Jan 13

Its a shame really. If people actually concentrated and actually did 70mph I'm sure this wouldn't occur. Average speed cameras are always a good tactic but we can't keep reducing the speed limit - this will only frustrate drivers !

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floppy123 says...
12:20pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Going from 70, slowing don to get round that corner on the dedham turn off is what it is, there's not enough time to slow down on the "slip road" it's tiny! make it bigger, no problemo!

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Boris says...
2:15pm Sun 6 Jan 13

The petition is fine as it goes, reducing the speed limit will help, but the gap to turn into the B1068 should be closed, as should all remaining gaps along dual-carriageway roads such as the A12. Several have been closed, such as the one to turn off for Easthorpe, and that did nobody any harm, and may well have saved a few lives.

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Grabber says...
4:39pm Sun 6 Jan 13

I agree with Boris its time to shut those gaps

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smokeyjoe,colchester says...
4:52pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Likewise I agree with the closure of the gaps. Traffic naturally slows for the bends but when the sudden lane changes occur due to slow vehicles joining the A12 it is a recipe for disaster!

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jim_bo says...
8:26pm Sun 6 Jan 13

How many of the 87 crashes were due to turning into those jcts?

From memory most of the crashes recently have been caused by poor driving or vehicle failure and not by turnings.

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bloke down the pub says...
1:11am Mon 7 Jan 13

I'm sure the people making theas stupid decisions have never driven along this stretch of road. Why not get someone with a licence to drive along this road , and tell you whats wrong

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romantic says...
1:26pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Agree with Boris on this one. Gaps where people are having to get across two fast lanes are dangerous. Even if there are not direct collisions there, the knock-on effect of people having to slow suddenly can cause them.

Longer slip-roads would also help; there are a couple of jcts on that stretch where traffic just doesn´t have the space to speed up or slow down enough.

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Dillinga says...
8:49pm Mon 7 Jan 13

floppy123 wrote:
Going from 70, slowing don to get round that corner on the dedham turn off is what it is, there's not enough time to slow down on the "slip road" it's tiny! make it bigger, no problemo!
If you are unable to slow from 70mph to a speed safe enough to negotiate that turn then I'd suggest your surrender your license as you are clearly a danger to other road users.

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Im_Like_HELLO says...
10:57am Tue 8 Jan 13

I have witnessed some poor driving myself but the A12 was a 20th century solution to a 20th century problem - a series of bypasses. Some stretches are very bendy and it's really only possible to get up to 70mph when there isn't much traffic. So perhaps speed limits are the answer and to force people (the general public as well as the government) to think about alternatives.

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Boris says...
11:52pm Tue 8 Jan 13

In the USA, even with their wide empty roads, and far greater distances, they had for many years a national speed limit of 55 mph, and it seems people generally respected this. With our more crowded roads and shorter distances, maybe we should follow that example.

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