A mother has started a petition to try to slow down traffic and add more crossings on a busy road that families cross every day.
Polly Wrenn is concerned about children’s safety as Shirley Drive in Hove is a 30mph road with no crossings but is used by youngsters from a number of schools in the area.
The road is a busy route out of Hove and residents said that there have been several crashes in recent years.
Mrs Wrenn said on the 38degrees petitions website that there are eight pedestrian crossings from the seafront up Grand Avenue and The Drive – but none once the road becomes Shirley Drive.
But children from at least four primary schools cross the road – the Bilingual Primary School, Cottesmore St Mary, Lancing Prep and Hove Girls – as do pupils at two secondaries, Cardinal Newman Catholic School and Hove Park.
The petition said that school children and young families had nowhere safe to cross.
Mrs Wrenn said: “Over the years, Hove Park residents have individually contacted Brighton and Hove City Council about the speed and danger of traffic in Shirley Drive.
“The council has repeatedly rejected any calls for speed restrictions and pedestrian crossings – despite the fact that there are four primary schools and two secondary schools in close proximity.
“Not to mention all the young families, elderly, disabled, dog walkers, joggers, etc, that use the park and rec.
“The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership has also recorded data that there have been numerous accidents along this stretch of road.
“In the last six days, there have been two collisions in the exact same spot – the junction of Shirley Drive and The Droveway.”
Conservative councillors Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown, who represent Hove Park on the council, back the petition. Councillor Bagaeen said that Shirley Drive was an “ongoing concern”.
He said: “I have been asking the police for weeks to run the regular speed checks in Shirley Drive but they seem to only want to do Nevill Avenue and The Upper Drive. I have spoken to our PSCO about it.
“It is frustrating that officers are not seeing what we are seeing – and the default position that there has to be a fatality before they act is ridiculous.”
Councillor Brown has asked for pedestrian crossings for many years but has been left frustrated because the road “does not meet the necessary thresholds”.
She said: “Many school children cross this road to access their schools and it is very dangerous, particularly where the road dips near Woodruff Avenue.
“Now all the cars have to park on the road and not the run-ins between the grass verges. It is like a chicane in parts and the cars go too fast.”
More than 450 people so far have signed the petition, entitled Increase pedestrian safety on Shirley Drive on the 38degrees website.
