A crash on a key route has prompted a councillor to call for long-promised road safety measures to be put in place before another life is lost.
Independent councillor Peter Atkinson spoke out after a van crashed and ended up on it roof in Fox Way, Portslade, on Friday (28 February). Remarkably, the van driver was unharmed.
The need for safety measures was accepted by Brighton and Hove City Council in 2023 and work was scheduled but never happened.
Councillor Atkinson, who represents North Portslade, said that people crossing the road feel as though they have to take their life in their hands.
He has written to the council’s cabinet lead for transport, Trevor Muten, asking for the road safety improvements that were promised in 2023 be carried out as a matter of urgency.
Although the van driver who crashed on Friday was unscathed, Councillor Atkinson said that, in 2022, a motorcyclist died after an accident along the same stretch of road.
Councillor Atkinson has been raising the issue of road safety on the stretch of Fox Way between Henge Way and Chalky Road for several years.
A request for a speed camera, made in 2022, was turned down but he then presented a petition about the road to a council committee in early 2023.
He was told that his request would be considered by the council’s transport projects team – and, in December 2023, the council emailed Councillor Atkinson to say that the work would be carried out.
The email said: “We have been to the site this morning and we are going to propose a series of 1.2m-wide islands that will leave two 3.2m-wide running lanes.”
The council said that the area along the road between the islands would be hatched out.
The aim was for the islands to prevent overtaking and the visual narrowing of the road to encourage lower speeds.
The email said: “Hopefully, we should get the design done before Christmas and then get this safety-audited in the new year.
“Construction should begin by March (2024). During construction, it will be necessary to close Fox Way but we can probably keep this to off-peak.”
Councillor Atkinson said that, since then, the works had been delayed, postponed and now seemed to have dropped off the council’s priority list for road safety improvements.
A speed limit reminder sign had also not worked for some time, Councillor Atkinson said, adding: “This is completely unacceptable.
“This stretch of road becomes a racetrack as it straightens out and residents are regularly reporting cars dangerously speeding up as they drive along it.
“People cross this road to walk across to the Downs and it’s also a very popular through route for residents walking their dogs.
“Residents have reported to me that they feel ‘that they are taking their lives into their hands sometimes’ as cars suddenly appear from either end of this part of Fox Way.”
Looks like a fantastic cut through. People always overestimate their driving abilities.
Not really a cut through but one of only 2 roads into Mile Oak. Too much sensless speeding and overtaking. Hopefully Cllr Atkinson can make some progress.
10 collisions involving pedestrians have been reported on Fox Way, most of them between Warrior Close and Bush Farm Drive. It’s a crash hotspot.
That’s rather strange being crash data shows only one incident in the last five years.
They are constantly claiming the Aquarium roundabout is ‘unsafe’ when it has a remarkable lack of RTAs considering the volume of traffic it handles.
The biggest danger on the roads is potholes and they are being ignored. Instead whole roads are being closed for no reason. Or no improvement for either drivers or other road users.
Not according to Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. The Fatal 5 are:
Excessive speed
Drink/drug driving
Distracted driving (including mobile phones)
Not wearing a seatbelt
Careless driving
Got to agree with Max here, poor driving is the biggest danger on the roads more than the roads themselves.
Being right on top of that stretch of road. It’s a hot-spot for speeders. I walk along side this road daily walking dogs and even the dogs get concerned by the speed.
Let me get this right,,,,a motorcycle rider losses his life ,,,,,,but a van gets damaged, and then it’s oh we better take action,,,,,,,…fuming.
Russell, the Councillor asked the Council to make the road safer after the motorcyclist died. After repeated approaches, the Council promised road safety improvements as a priority. They haven’t done what they said they would. Now there’s been another incident on the same road, and the Councillor is stepping up his efforts to make the road safer. More than can be said for any other Councillor in that area.