A couple of points from last night’s Full District Council:
Sports Pitches near Rayleigh Leisure Centre: As previously mentioned, Chris asked the question
“Have any bookings be taken yet for the new sports pitches near Rayleigh Leisure Centre? If so, by which clubs and for how many hours per week? Are there any bookings for evenings?”
The answer was basically ‘no’. In fact there doesn’t seem any likelihood of any bookings being taken, or the pitches being used, before a pitch inspection in May.
Average Speed Cameras: Norman Hume, the County Councillor in charge of highways, was at the meeting. He said he was a ‘big fan’ of average speed cameras (as opposed to ordinary speed cameras). So he very much supported the average speed cameras on the A127 – very early indications were that they were reducing serious accidents. But he was going to be looking to see if 50 mph was the right limit.
If serious accidents are being reduced minor shunts have increased, I have seen 3 or 4 cars stopped by the side of the road several times and the Weir underpass has been closed due to accidents.
Every day travelling into and out of Southend I see cars tailgating, reducing the speed limit from 70 to 50 mph has caused dangerous bunching along the road.
Was there any mention of how many motorists have been fined for speeding. I assume there is a tolerance for going over the speed limit. Whenever I have been driving on the 127 there are motorists driving at 55 to 60mph. Chris, do you know what the tolerance is, I have heard from a source that it is 55mph?
Yet again, another accident at the Rayleigh Weir this morning. Totally agree with Ian J, the number of accidents along this stretch have definitely increased. Often the accidents are bad enough to close a lane for a number of hours. You could probably search the Echo website to get an idea of the number of accidents, but I have personally seen some accidents in the new 50mph zone that have not received a mention in the paper.
It’s easy to categorise these accidents as minor while there have been no serious injuries, but when vehicles are out of control it is usually only down to luck that someone is not hurt.
There is more to safe roads than just speed, and speed cameras are not the answer, in fact if they are preventing the authorities from considering other options then they are part of the problem. A good starting point would be to look at the design of the Rayleigh Weir underpass, as this seems to be where most accidents occur. We also need a proper review of traffic levels and road capacity in the region. I’d also like to know why the A12 has recently been given extra dedicated police patrols, yet we just get more cameras.
I am disappointed (but sadly not surprised) by the comments of those who are supposed to promote road safety in our county. Trying to pass the A127 experiment off as a success when quite clearly things have not improved is typical spin. But then we wouldn’t expect honesty when the road safety plan for the past decade has revolved around the easy option speed cameras.
And with the gas pipeline works moving closer to the Weir, the Weir/ High Road area is going to be pretty hellish anyway.
And I am surprised there are not a lot more accidents coming off of the slip road up to the Weir Roundabout and on the Roundabout itself. Lane discipline on this roundabout seems almost non-existent. Despite the lanes being clearly marked there are always selfish drivers who seem intent on gaining extra seconds by chasing up the left lane when the right turn lane is more congested. They then try and push their way across to the right hand lane and into the centre at the lights. I have almost been hit several times by drivers who then flash at you, toot their horns and show you their “fingers” making it look like it is you that are in the wrong!!!!
Lanes are clearly marked – left lane for High Road and across back onto A127 and right side for A127 return and round towards Sainsburys turn and Hadleigh turn. Perhaps it is time that these selfish drivers re-read the Highway Code – that assumes that they have taken a test in the first place?
Or – how about putting in some sort of slip lane into the High Road, similar to the new one coming off of the old A130 at Fairglen?
CCR
CPR, I have been campaigning for a designated slip road from the southbound A1245 at the Fairglen interchange to the eastbound A127. I have made three requests, all at separate West Area Committee meetings,the first to a County Highways Officer, the second to Cllr. Mavis Webster and a third, which has now been taken up by the head of planning at RDC, Mr Shaun Scrutton. Unfortunately there was no response from the first two mentioned and after being asked by Cllr Webster to confirm details in emails to her at her District and County addresses, I did not even receive an acknowledgment of receipt from either.
I am now hoping that it will be third attempt lucky and Shaun Scrutton will make some progress. He is obliged to answer to questions in writing, received at the Area Committee meetings.
Another wrecked car pushed onto the A127 footpath this morning, this time right next to the newly re-installed Gatso at the Fortune of War chicane. Looks like the camera caused some panic braking, leading to the car skidding and crashing.
I’ve seen another panic braking accident at exactly the same spot when these cameras were installed first time round – two car shunt, where one car braked hard for the camera, and the second drove into the back of it. Certainly this is bad driving, but the cameras directly contributed to both the accidents.
Mr Hume has been on record in the local papers, hailing these cameras to be a great success as there were no (recorded) accidents while they were in operation. This is his justification for reintroducing them. As well as not taking into account the non-recorded accidents, his statement appears to miss the contribution of the new anti-skid road surface that was applied to the junction, and was the reason the speed limit and cameras were installed in the first place (apparently anti-skid tarmac is very slippery when first applied, and takes a number of months to achieve maximum friction, hence the “temporary” speed cameras).
Why not tackle the root cause and straighten the road, which is the solution that many locals want, including local MPs?
Cheap cameras instead of a properly engineered highway? We are being short changed.
And yet another one this morning….
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4737591.Crash_on_A127_near_Rayleigh_Spur_causes_delays/
And again…
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4745066.A127_closed_for_45_minutes_after_crash_at_Rayleigh_Weir/
Do you think someone will get the message?
For once I evidenced how the 50MPH on the A127 saved lives. Tonight I was driving on the London bound carriageway, just passing the slip road, from Rayleigh Weir. As I approached the blind bend on the carriageway I spotted the brake lights of the car in front and I slowed down. About 50 to 70 yards along the carriageway was a car which looked like it was on fire and the car was facing oncoming traffic. If cars travelling at 70MPH plus, approaching the bend it would probably have been carnage on that bend, add to this the four passengers standing in the central reservation, deaths would have been enevitable. I am now believe that 50MPH is the right speed, if people drive appropriately.
It is a shame that more people do not seem to take notice of this limit and persist in tailgating you when you are driving at 50mph!
I would love to see the figures for issuance of speeding tickets from the average speed cameras on the Rayleigh section of the A127 as sometimes I feel that I am the only person who is taking notice of the limits.
CCR you are not the only person taking notice of the speed limit on the A127 but it is the idiots that drive well over the speed limit that is making it dangerous for other road users. I could easily have been involved in a horrendous pile up if I had been driving over the speed limit. It is a wake up call when you are that close! I hope that this is taken in by users of this road. When I am on the A127 and I am travelling at 50MPH and want to turn right at the junction of Progress Road, I stay on the outside lane and the other road users just have to stay behind me until I turn off!
Mike, I hope you do not mean 50MPH near Progress Road,as this is a 40MPH section.
Greenbelt, no I mean before the limit goes down to 40MPH but even there motorists are tailgating. Some drivers are just stupid and should not be allowed on the roads!