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130905 | Third accident in 10 months renews calls for traffic calming | This is Cornwall:

Spotted on Thursday, September 05, 2013 in The Cornishman/West Briton http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/accident-10-months-renews-calls-traffic-calming/story-19751184-detail/story.html

Third accident in 10 months renews calls for traffic calming

Thursday, September 05, 2013

West Briton

PLEAS have been renewed for traffic-calming measures at a notorious spot where a woman had to be cut from her car by firefighters.

The driver of the black Renault Clio was taken to hospital with a neck injury after the accident on Roseworthy Hill on Monday, the third in less than a year.

The scene on Roseworthy Hill on Tuesday. The black Renault Clio can be seen with the roof cut off.

The scene on Roseworthy Hill on Tuesday. The black Renault Clio can be seen with the roof cut off.

Last November and December there were two serious accidents in the village of Roseworthy.

In one, a red Volkswagen Polo crashed into a house, flipped over and caught fire, damaging two other cars.

Cornwall Council said there was no funding available for traffic-calming measures, and this week stood by the statement.

Resident David Hayden, whose garden wall has been damaged in three separate accidents, said: "This road is a nightmare. We have lots of accidents here, it has been going on for a long time.

"Every couple of months someone goes up on the bank or through a hedge."

Roseworthy Hill is the old A30 between Hayle and Camborne.

In 1993 its 60mph limit was reduced to 40pmh.

"We fought like hell to get a 40mph limit here," said Mr Hayden.

"They (Cornwall Council) do not seem to want to help us because, if there is an accident on the A30, the traffic flows through here. We asked for traffic calming, they told us it was not going to happen."

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I was almost hit by a speeding car as I was reversing out of my drive recently."

Gwinear-Gwithian Parish Council chairman, Brian Pocock, said the council was already recording traffic speeds on the road, which it would send to Cornwall Council to "press" for action.

"It is simply not good enough to say that there is no money," he said, "but we are on the case."

Monday's collision involved a red LDV van at about 4pm.

A statement from Cornwall Council said: "The Council met with local residents and representatives from the police and local parish council to discuss road safety concerns in January this year.

"During the informal meeting, we discussed various possible measures, however it is not appropriate to install measures or speed cameras on every stretch of road.

"Not all accidents are solely the result of excess speed, and judging from the previous two incidents in 2011 and 2012, it is unlikely that any physical traffic calming measures would have had prevented their occurrence.

"At the meeting various options were discussed, however it was stressed that there is no funding available for them at this time and no work was agreed to be carried out other than for the police to carry out speed checks on the road.

"As with any road accident, we will be looking at the circumstances of this week’s incident to determine what, if any, action should be taken on the road."