Traffic and Residents’ Safety at Touchen End.
Progress update April 2013
Dear All.
Following our first letter to residents last month we are very pleased that so many of you have responded and provided details of the problems you are encountering on the Ascot Road. We would like to say a very big thank you to all of you who took the trouble to make contact.
“TEARS AT TOUCHEN END”
Since that first letter, an action group ”TEARS” (Touchen End Ascot Road Safety) has been formed and tasked with the challenge of bringing about the changes that you want to make Touchen End a safer place to live. To give you an idea of the key changes and priorities that respondents have indicated, here is a breakdown of your feedback.
· REDUCTION IN SPEED 40.0%
· IMPROVEMENT TO PAVEMENTS 20.0%
· SIGNAGE FOR CONCEALED DRIVES 14.3%
· SPEED MONITORING BOARDS 14.3%
· SPEED CAMERA 8.6%
· RUMBLE STRIPS 2.9%
FIRST PRESS RELEASE CREATED (see attached)
Our aim for the first release was to produce something which would be eye catching and at the same time, build awareness of the problems being faced by Residents living at Touchen End.
POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We are pleased to tell you that we have established the support of our local Police Community Support Team to help manage our problems. The first step will be a Speedwatch Day when two officers, supported by two members of TEARS, will spend the day recording motorists’ speeds through Touchen End. This event is currently scheduled for a date around the middle of the month. This day should also give these officers good, firsthand experience of the broader problems being encountered by residents. We hope that this event will provide another opportunity for more publicity to further promote awareness of our problems.
TOUCHEN END GOES GLOBAL
We are also pleased to tell you that a Touchen End website has now been created. It can be accessed by everyone at this address www.touchenend.co.uk We hope that this will help promote our campaign, aid communication between us and provide a good opportunity for all residents to air their views regularly. At present the website is dedicated to our campaign, TEARS. Eventually we hope the scope of the website will become a wider resource.
KEY DECISION MAKERS AND COUNCILS STRUCTURES.
The latest relevant Council structures have now been established. Theresa May has been informed of our problems for information purposes only at the moment. However we have been asked to let her know when we need her help and support.
OTHER CURRENT ACTIVITIES.
A survey of roads in the area is being conducted to establish precedents with respect to speed limits and conditions.
A review is taking place of the latest new speed limit Government guidelines to be used by Councillors, issued in January by Stephen Hammond Road Safety Minister. The guidelines are designed to better ensure the consistent management of roads with respect to speeds, safety and communities. In the guidelines, special emphasis is given to local rural communities, which hopefully will strengthen our cause.
AND FINALLY…………
We would still very much like to hear from other residents who have not already contacted us, so we have an even more complete picture of everyone’s views needs and experiences. We can be contacted by email on tears@touchenend.co.uk or via the website at www.touchenend.co.uk
It would also be very much appreciated if past respondents would also give their neighbours a gentle nudge. The more residents who respond, the better the chance we have of being successful.
Please note that future communications and updates will be via email and the website so if you want to be kept in touch please make sure we have your email – either email us at tears@touchenend.co.uk or register on the website at http://www.touchenend.co.uk/join-us.html
With many thanks to you all, the TEARS action group.
Dear All.
Following our first letter to residents last month we are very pleased that so many of you have responded and provided details of the problems you are encountering on the Ascot Road. We would like to say a very big thank you to all of you who took the trouble to make contact.
“TEARS AT TOUCHEN END”
Since that first letter, an action group ”TEARS” (Touchen End Ascot Road Safety) has been formed and tasked with the challenge of bringing about the changes that you want to make Touchen End a safer place to live. To give you an idea of the key changes and priorities that respondents have indicated, here is a breakdown of your feedback.
· REDUCTION IN SPEED 40.0%
· IMPROVEMENT TO PAVEMENTS 20.0%
· SIGNAGE FOR CONCEALED DRIVES 14.3%
· SPEED MONITORING BOARDS 14.3%
· SPEED CAMERA 8.6%
· RUMBLE STRIPS 2.9%
FIRST PRESS RELEASE CREATED (see attached)
Our aim for the first release was to produce something which would be eye catching and at the same time, build awareness of the problems being faced by Residents living at Touchen End.
POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We are pleased to tell you that we have established the support of our local Police Community Support Team to help manage our problems. The first step will be a Speedwatch Day when two officers, supported by two members of TEARS, will spend the day recording motorists’ speeds through Touchen End. This event is currently scheduled for a date around the middle of the month. This day should also give these officers good, firsthand experience of the broader problems being encountered by residents. We hope that this event will provide another opportunity for more publicity to further promote awareness of our problems.
TOUCHEN END GOES GLOBAL
We are also pleased to tell you that a Touchen End website has now been created. It can be accessed by everyone at this address www.touchenend.co.uk We hope that this will help promote our campaign, aid communication between us and provide a good opportunity for all residents to air their views regularly. At present the website is dedicated to our campaign, TEARS. Eventually we hope the scope of the website will become a wider resource.
KEY DECISION MAKERS AND COUNCILS STRUCTURES.
The latest relevant Council structures have now been established. Theresa May has been informed of our problems for information purposes only at the moment. However we have been asked to let her know when we need her help and support.
OTHER CURRENT ACTIVITIES.
A survey of roads in the area is being conducted to establish precedents with respect to speed limits and conditions.
A review is taking place of the latest new speed limit Government guidelines to be used by Councillors, issued in January by Stephen Hammond Road Safety Minister. The guidelines are designed to better ensure the consistent management of roads with respect to speeds, safety and communities. In the guidelines, special emphasis is given to local rural communities, which hopefully will strengthen our cause.
AND FINALLY…………
We would still very much like to hear from other residents who have not already contacted us, so we have an even more complete picture of everyone’s views needs and experiences. We can be contacted by email on tears@touchenend.co.uk or via the website at www.touchenend.co.uk
It would also be very much appreciated if past respondents would also give their neighbours a gentle nudge. The more residents who respond, the better the chance we have of being successful.
Please note that future communications and updates will be via email and the website so if you want to be kept in touch please make sure we have your email – either email us at tears@touchenend.co.uk or register on the website at http://www.touchenend.co.uk/join-us.html
With many thanks to you all, the TEARS action group.
ACCIDENTS BRING TEARS TO RESIDENTS AT TOUCHEN END
A road safety action group known as TEARS (Touchen End Ascot Road Safety), has been created by Touchen End residents concerned about the safety of the Ascot Road (A330) through their village and particularly at a dangerous blind bend near the turning to Paley Street.
This action group was created after a recent spate of accidents at each end of this bend. The group’s first task is to compile a dossier of information to back its campaign for improvements to safety for all residents, pedestrians and road users passing through Touchen End.
Incidents recorded so far include amongst others, residents with upturned cars in their front gardens, pedestrians being hospitalised through being hit by vehicles, cars shunted whilst waiting to turn right on to the B3024 and twice in one evening, cars being rear-ended whilst waiting at temporary traffic lights.
Moreover several residents with properties on the blind bend have themselves been involved in collisions whilst trying to leave their driveways - hit by vehicles driving at a speed faster than appropriate for the visibility around the bend.
Commenting on behalf of the group, Peter Watts a Touchen End resident said:
“Motorists do not seem to realise how many partially obscured drives there are along the Ascot Road at Touchen End and in particular at the blind bend.
Yes the road is limited to 50 mph but unfortunately many do not take any notice of the SLOW signs painted on the road.
The blind bend which is particularly dangerous is approximately 80 yards long and at 50mph it requires an average distance of 58 yards to stop. So once a vehicle reaches a third of the way around the bend it would be unable to stop in time to avoid a collision with something slow moving or stationery at the end of this bend.
This could be a pedestrian crossing the road, cyclists, horse riders, stationary traffic or emerging vehicles from driveways and this hazard applies to vehicles travelling in either direction through this bend.
An emerging car was hit in exactly this way recently at the top of the bend and only three days later another accident caused the destruction of a garden wall at the other end of the bend due to the driver losing control of their vehicle.
This is just one of the many reasons why Touchen End residents want to see action being taken now, to avoid real tears in the future!”
Peter Watts would like to hear from anyone such as pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and any other road users that have experienced problems or have concerns about road safety on the Ascot road and particularly at Touchen End. If so, he can be contacted by email at peter.and.tricia.touchen.end@gmail.com
This action group was created after a recent spate of accidents at each end of this bend. The group’s first task is to compile a dossier of information to back its campaign for improvements to safety for all residents, pedestrians and road users passing through Touchen End.
Incidents recorded so far include amongst others, residents with upturned cars in their front gardens, pedestrians being hospitalised through being hit by vehicles, cars shunted whilst waiting to turn right on to the B3024 and twice in one evening, cars being rear-ended whilst waiting at temporary traffic lights.
Moreover several residents with properties on the blind bend have themselves been involved in collisions whilst trying to leave their driveways - hit by vehicles driving at a speed faster than appropriate for the visibility around the bend.
Commenting on behalf of the group, Peter Watts a Touchen End resident said:
“Motorists do not seem to realise how many partially obscured drives there are along the Ascot Road at Touchen End and in particular at the blind bend.
Yes the road is limited to 50 mph but unfortunately many do not take any notice of the SLOW signs painted on the road.
The blind bend which is particularly dangerous is approximately 80 yards long and at 50mph it requires an average distance of 58 yards to stop. So once a vehicle reaches a third of the way around the bend it would be unable to stop in time to avoid a collision with something slow moving or stationery at the end of this bend.
This could be a pedestrian crossing the road, cyclists, horse riders, stationary traffic or emerging vehicles from driveways and this hazard applies to vehicles travelling in either direction through this bend.
An emerging car was hit in exactly this way recently at the top of the bend and only three days later another accident caused the destruction of a garden wall at the other end of the bend due to the driver losing control of their vehicle.
This is just one of the many reasons why Touchen End residents want to see action being taken now, to avoid real tears in the future!”
Peter Watts would like to hear from anyone such as pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and any other road users that have experienced problems or have concerns about road safety on the Ascot road and particularly at Touchen End. If so, he can be contacted by email at peter.and.tricia.touchen.end@gmail.com
