Councillor calls for action at dangerous crossroads after another crash. Improvements have done little to help.
Emergency crews responded to a crash on February 4. Two cars collided on Clay Lake Bank, and a driver went to the hospital with serious injuries. Another crash happened on Fulney Drove just two days later; three vehicles were involved this time.
A local councilor, Anthony Casson, wants changes. He suggests adding simple stop signs. He feels officials are ignoring his concerns and said the council seems to wait for someone to die, adding that they need to fix it urgently.
Casson suggests replacing “Give Way” signs. This is the 39th crash since the road reopened. Mill Drove North was closed in 2022 at the A16 junction and reopened, after which locals began tracking crashes.
Casson urges ongoing incident reports to the police, stating that more police reports can help initiate change. He says people feel reporting is pointless now, but reporting is important and needed for any action.
Weston Parish Council Chairman, Chris Dicks, commented that the site is outside the parish. However, residents often worry about it. He visited the junction with highway officials before Christmas, and they looked at the problem.
One problem is a hedge blocking the view, which impacts drivers leaving Clay Lake Bank. He said stopping at the line gives a clear view. He believes most crashes happen because of driver behavior as drivers often speed on the 60 mph road, and side road drivers become impatient for an opening.
Dicks suggested better signs and a lower speed. He thinks highway officials seemed uninterested and feels driver behavior is key. Cowbit Parish Council also wants a lower speed limit because they are concerned about speeding there.
The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership responded and assessed the crossroads site after local worries. They visited the location several times and speed surveys took place in October 2023 on two roads.
The average vehicle speed was about 43 mph, and very few vehicles exceeded the speed limit. Crash causes are not related to speeding, and investigations focused on visibility problems there.
New road markings were added in August 2024. The junction markings were offset slightly, and small striped areas were added. Existing signs got replaced or renewed.
Stop signs must meet specific visibility rules which are in official traffic guidelines. The rules did not permit stop signs earlier, but a visibility improvement should always be checked first.
Despite recent improvements, the council will check again. They will reconsider stop signs due to new crashes and want to know if stop signs are now possible.