Concern about speeding drivers has prompted a group of neighbours to call for a 30mph speed limit on their road.
Next week, a group of 12 residents from Wilson Avenue, in east Brighton, will call on councillors to reduce the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.
They conducted a survey of 102 households in Wilson Avenue, between Marlow Road and Warren Road, and found that 65 of the 75 people who responded wanted the speed limit cut.
Two households were “adamant” that the limit needed cutting further – to 20mph.
The group is due to send a deputation to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday 21 June.
One of the group, probably Henry Butler, will have five minutes to make his case next Tuesday.
Mr Butler’s submission, in papers that were published before the meeting, said: “Council figures accord with the residents’ view of regular and sometimes serious accidents in Wilson Avenue.
“Most of those surveyed had witnessed accidents, had their front walls crashed into and described accessing their driveways as often being scary because of speeding motorists.
“At times, residents say, Wilson Avenue is a racetrack with no speed cameras or any effective means of preventing dangerous, fast driving.
“Between 2019 and 2021 there were 12 serious accidents resulting in 20 casualties, one fatal.
“Yet, Sussex Police describe the current limit as ‘appropriate given that there are very few pedestrians wishing to cross’ on what they describe as a ‘semi-rural’ road.
“The police view also seems contrary to their stated opinion in their annual report that ‘driving at inappropriate and excess speed’ is the foremost cause of death and injury.”
The group said that residents “strongly disagreed” with the police position as the eastern “rural” side of the road is Sheepcote Valley which has 15 entrances.
As well as East Brighton Park, the road has entrances to Stanley Deason Leisure Centre, the Met Trade and Construction Campus, Brighton College sports grounds, Whitehawk FC’s ground and the recycling centre.
In contrast to Wilson Avenue, Falmer Road, also described as “semi-rural”, has a 30mph speed limit and speed camera.
The Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee is due to meet at 4pm at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday (21 June). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
I commute via Wilson Avenue on a daily basis and agree that 40 mph is excessive, and a 30 mph limit would be more appropriate. However, the suggestion of a 20 mph limit would be complete overkill
You can always spot a green by their obsession with 20mph zones
Whatever the speed limit is set at there, will always be idiots who use the roads as a racetrack.
And agree with Mike, 20mph is a wasteful Green idea which doesn’t work at all (waste of tax payers money setting that up!).
If you see anti social driving report it to Op Crackdown, if enough reports are sent about a driver they get a visit, apparently!
That’s a pretty wild claim, any evidence to support your strange notion that a car traveling at 20mph isn’t less lethal than a car traveling at 30mph?
Yeah didn’t think so..
Car Delenda Est
To answer that question realistically the answer is it depends which way the car travelling at 20 was going on this road.
Downhill shouldn’t be a problem with a driver applying the F/B.
Up hill would be a deferent matter though, at 20 my car would be in 2nd gear pumping out more harmful deposits than in 3rd or 4th gear.
So yes more lethal at 20 than at 30 or 40.
Had you thought of that.
No didn’t think so.
30mph would be fine.
The problem is when people park up at the side of the road. 40 is fine. I get to 40 coming down and let gravity give me free travel. By the MET college my speed drops to about 30 but picks up again to 40 after that. It is basically free travel for a long way. Dropping it to 30 would mean I would have to waste fuel keeping the speed up.