A338 south of Wantage

[blitzracing]

Oxfordshire road safety are trying to reduce the speed limit of the A338 South of Wantage. This is one of the last open / clear "A" roads over open down land thats devoid of housing that still has a NSL in the area, and has not yet been reduced to a funeral procession speed. Unfortuately it has a high accident rate due to blind bends and peaks, adverse camber, and stray wildlife as the road gets twistier. The 60 mph limit is not really the issue here, but peoples inability to read the road and conditions, or over estimate their own abilities combined with speeds way in excess of the NSL, plus no obvious policing. A knee jerk reaction to reduce the limit is certainly not the best answer, it simply penalises anyone that could do a 60 mph perfectly safely before hand. Its open to consultation at the moment, so if you know this road and wish to comment, please email:

[e-mail].

P.S. If you are one of the "mature bikers" who travel through our villages at 3 times the speed limit every Sunday morning thanks a lot for helping spoil it for everyone else, by making this road more "dangerous".

[nutsytvr]

B4494 is much better....
I have sympathy with your comment regarding your villages. I live in a small village just outside Witney with a 30 limit, but fast NSL approaching on both sides. Weekend bikers are not too bad. The worst offenders, who just don't slow down at all from the NSL, are idiots rushing to and from work morning and evening. No regard at all for our kids, dogs, or our own lives trying to get out of gateways on blind corners in the village.

Nutsy

[saaby93]

nutsytvr said:

B4494 is much better....
I have sympathy with your comment regarding your villages. I live in a small village just outside Witney with a 30 limit, but fast NSL approaching on both sides. Weekend bikers are not too bad. The worst offenders, who just don't slow down at all from the NSL, are idiots rushing to and from work morning and evening. No regard at all for our kids, dogs, or our own lives trying to get out of gateways on blind corners in the village.
Nutsy

Have you asked for traffic speeds? How many acccidents are there?
Same to OP & when is deadline?

[blitzracing]

We had a bad spate a few of years back I know of when 4 bikers died one summer after a bike magazine article on what great roads they where in the area (This includes the Newbury to Wantage road over the Downs as well), and since then I know of two more car fatalities on the A338, but I suspect the number is a lot higher listening to the police sirens and bits of debris left on the road over the summer months. The problem area is more on the Berkshire side of the road, not the Oxfordshire side they are trying to put a limit on. Ive never seen any sort of speed monitoring on the road to get some acurate data, it would be interesting to know.

[saaby93]

blitzracing said:

We had a bad spate a few of years back I know of when 4 bikers died one summer after a bike magazine article on what great roads they where in the area (This includes the Newbury to Wantage road over the Downs as well), and since then I know of two more car fatalities on the A338, but I suspect the number is a lot higher listening to the police sirens and bits of debris left on the road over the summer months. The problem area is more on the Berkshire side of the road, not the Oxfordshire side they are trying to put a limit on. Ive never seen any sort of speed monitoring on the road to get some acurate data, it would be interesting to know.

That's usually more of a road layout issue than speed limit
Will reducing the speed limit prevent those? Or would changing the layout?

[blitzracing]

The proposed speed limit is on the straight and open bit, not where it gets dangerous. As for layout changes, its a lovely old A road with plenty of warning signs if you care to read them on the twisty bits, and I would not want it changed for the few that drive beyond their limits (one even hit the sharp bend sign and killed himself!).

[shuvitupya]

Oxfordshire Council had previously already made up their minds to reduce speed limits despite police opposition before the election.

[saaby93]

shuvitupya said:

Oxfordshire Council had previously already made up their minds to reduce speed limits despite police opposition before the election.

so?

[Mazda Baiter]

That is a real shame. The A338 is one of the best roads in the country. The stretch from Wantage to Hungerford is sublime. A real joy to drive. But it would be crap at 50. Probably ruined by the tossers who don't slow down for the villages. I have never had an issue with safety on this road, the dangerous bends are only dangerous if you ignore the signposts.

I might even use it this weekend on my way to my parents. One last time.

[nutsytvr]

saaby93 said:

nutsytvr said:

B4494 is much better....
I have sympathy with your comment regarding your villages. I live in a small village just outside Witney with a 30 limit, but fast NSL approaching on both sides. Weekend bikers are not too bad. The worst offenders, who just don't slow down at all from the NSL, are idiots rushing to and from work morning and evening. No regard at all for our kids, dogs, or our own lives trying to get out of gateways on blind corners in the village.
Nutsy

Have you asked for traffic speeds? How many acccidents are there?
Same to OP & when is deadline?

Yes, we had a council report done when pressing for a reduction from 40 to 30. The average speed was somehwere north of 50. Very few accidents - the best was local plod under blues and twoes, lost it on the corner and hit the pub. During the recent runway extension at RAF Brize Norton, all the HGV's were passing through our village at excessive speeds - the old houses were shaking and it was dangerous to even walk on the footpath due to suction. BiB did at least get involved and told the contractors to cool it or else - it seemed to work for a while.

[blitzracing]

Well they have gone an done it to both the A338 and B4494. As you can see the road is highly dangerous with all the houses, junctions, school kids, houses and poor visabilty. The best bit is its still a NSL out of Wantage on the A338, past the farms, stables, tea rooms, youth hostel, and the busy Ridgeway. It does not drop to 50 for another 3/4 of a mile in open countryside!

[Flintstone]

blitzracing said:

We had a bad spate a few of years back I know of when 4 bikers died one summer....

Point out to the local authority what a great source of donated organs these people are and that reducing the speed will mean sick people die. Assuming the bikers are killed by hitting their heads each one can donate a kidney to two recipients, lungs, heart and liver to one each so that's five beneficiaries not to mention retinas and other odds and sods.

A sort of squidgy breaker's yard

[Hooli]

Looks about as pointless as the endless 50 limits in Derbyshire.

[saaby93]

obviously pointless
did anyone object?
when did it happen ..linky

http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgDecisionDeta...
half way down it says A338 withdrawn february 2010

Edited by saaby93 on Saturday 16th April 21:17

[blitzracing]

I did object on the A338 on the Oxfordshire side, and got an email back from Oxfordshire CC saying my comments would be considered, fair enough, but the limit now starts bang on the Berkshire border (no notices on that side). BUT on the B4494, the limit runs purely on the Oxfordshire side, and stops on the Berkshire side, so I guess they emptied their piggy banks together, and bought just 20 sighs each, only enough to do the safer bits of road first before they ran out???? As for timings the B4494 was last Monday, the A338 a month or two back.

[saaby93]

blitzracing said:

I did object on the A338 on the Oxfordshire side, and got an email back from Oxfordshire CC saying my comments would be considered, fair enough, but the limit now starts bang on the Berkshire border (no notices on that side). BUT on the B4494, the limit runs purely on the Oxfordshire side, and stops on the Berkshire side, so I guess they emptied their piggy banks together, and bought just 20 sighs each, only enough to do the safer bits of road first before they ran out???? As for timings the B4494 was last Monday, the A338 a month or two back.

did they write to you giving a copy of the order whn it was completed?

[Cerberus90]

You know, I think that thing a while ago that proposed a blanket 50 Mph limit in place of NSL has secretly gone ahead.

A large stretch of road near me has been dropped from 60 down to 50 for no real reason.

[rs1952]

Cerberus90 said:

You know, I think that thing a while ago that proposed a blanket 50 Mph limit in place of NSL has secretly gone ahead.

A large stretch of road near me has been dropped from 60 down to 50 for no real reason.

These things do not happen "secretly." In the strict sense of the word, that is. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

1. Someone (usually a Council official) gets a bright idea for a speed limit reduction.

2. He/she puts a report to the Highways Committee, which usually goes through on the nod.

3. "Consultation" then takes place. In essence, this means that bits of A4 get nailed to telegraph poles or stuck to lamp posts over the affected area. If you happen to see one, nobody is stopping you getting out of your car, or stopping your horse and cart, to take a look. Of course, if the new limit is proposed in Chesterfield and you live in Oswestry you won't find out about it anyway, but thats OK because it doesn't affect you. You're not a local resident, are you? Mind your own bleedin' business, you communist.

Notices will also appear in the local paper - once again sod all use if you don't take the local paper or you don't live in the area. The Parish Council will be told/ consulted, as will the police. Especially note that, even if you are a local resident, nobody will tell you personally - you have to read the paper or find it on the Council's website or go to the local Parish Council meeting as an observer to find out what's going on.

What's that I hear you thinking? "I don't know who my parish council is or when or where it meets, and I don't buy the local paper, and every time I see a bit of A4 nailed to a pole I think its the local WI advertsing their Bring & Buy Sale, and what's this inter-webbly-net thing that everbody keeps going on about? - note to self: must get the electric put in to this house sometime " More fool you then - this is democracy in action, chum.

4. At the end of the consultation period, when all the objections have been overruled, more often than not quoting "local concerns about speeding" as the reason for overruling them, a Traffic Regulation Order is made. This effectively tells you that the new speed limit will be applicable from 31st Octember next, or whatever.

5. The day afterwards, the council send their blokes out to put up the new limit signs, if they've not already put 'em up a few weeks before and applied some washable grey paint to the actual signs themselves.

Aren't you now proud to be British, when you see the hoops that the Authorities make themselves jump through just to keep you informed?






"Mr Dent, the planning application to demolish your house has been available at the local planning office for inspection for the last six months"
"Yes, I went to have a look. It was in a locked filing cabinet, in a flooded cellar, behind a locked door with a sign saying 'Beware of the Leopard"

Edited by rs1952 on Saturday 16th April 23:23

[saaby93]

rs1952 said:

"Mr Dent, the planning application to demolish your house has been avauilable at the local planning office for inspetion for the last six months"
"Yes, I went to have a look. It was in a locked filing cabinet, in a flooded cellar, behind a locked door with a sign saying 'Beware of the Leopard"

Or in the library ( what were you asking for again?) in the box file marked Council, in the cupboard under the desk that no-one uses except to file the correspondence from the council (they'll find it if you're persistant) no-one's ever asked for that.
How would they know to ask?

[rs1952]

saaby93 said:

rs1952 said:

"Mr Dent, the planning application to demolish your house has been avauilable at the local planning office for inspetion for the last six months"
"Yes, I went to have a look. It was in a locked filing cabinet, in a flooded cellar, behind a locked door with a sign saying 'Beware of the Leopard"

Or in the library ( what were you asking for again?) in the box file marked Council, in the cupboard under the desk that no-one uses except to file the correspondence from the council (they'll find it if you're persistant) no-one's ever asked for that.
How would they know to ask?

In future, could you please wait unti I've odditted for teepees before you quote me