The stretch of the A4 west from Marlborough to Beckhampton has long been regarded as dangerous by residents and local councils, and efforts have repeatedly been made to the local authority, Wiltshire Council to do something, even with support from, local MP, Danny Kruger.
This recent fatality, a head-on crash on Overton Hill just to the East of the Ridgeway has intensified the efforts of residents and the Avebury and Kennet Valley Parish Councils to demand action from Wiltshire Council.
They want the Council to address the obvious road safety challenges. “Our hearts go out to the family of Jeff Brown, as we believe this tragic crash was avoidable,” said resident Simon Birch. “We have been warning of the danger on this part of the A4 for many years. Far too many vehicles drive far too fast. We need to bring speeds down before there is another fatality.”
Another resident, Rob Macaire, added: “The design of the road misleads drivers to think that it is safe to accelerate at this point. Lately speeds have increased and drivers take more risks. This stretch of the A4 has several turn-offs and poor sight lines, and passes through a hamlet. Incredibly vehicles go by at or well above 60mph. There have been three crashes on this road in recent weeks.”
In recent years the number of vehicles on the A4 has increased dramatically. A survey by Manton Residents Association in 2019 revealed a maximum of more than 1,200 vehicles per hour, of which around 90 were HGVs. Yet nothing has been done to reduce the growing risk that this intensifying use represents to drivers and vulnerable road users.
Kennet Valley Parish Councillor Jill Turner has compiled a list of eleven incidents on the A4 since 2017. “Before this last tragic event, none of them involved a fatality but each caused real damage and could so easily have had a much worse outcome,” she said.
Avebury and Kennet Valley Parish Councillor and East Kennett Parish meeting are launching a campaign with other stakeholders for a significant and immediate reduction in the A4 speed limit between Overton and Silbury Hills. In addition they want to see the national limit replaced by one of 50mph throughout the World Heritage Site except where it is already lower or where it should be reduced (as on the section described here). And they want police enforcement not only to encourage drivers to respect speed limits but also to clamp down on dangerous driving.
In addition, councillors claim that modest changes to carriageway widths would bring significant road safety benefits. These were recommended by the Avebury transport strategy co-funded by Wiltshire Council and other stakeholders, published in 2015 but largely ignored since.
“Inaction is inexcusable,” said Mike Bedford, chair of Avebury’s Transport Group. “How many deaths must there be?”
Two Cook Assistants for SBC
