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FIANCEE SPEAKS OF DEVASTATION AT TRAGIC CRASH
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08:00 - 29 March 2007
The fiancee of a man killed in a car crash at a notorious accident blackspot has spoken of her devastation.
James Eyers' car hit a tree on the A363 at Sally-in-the-Woods, near Bathford, as he drove home from work.
Mr Eyers, a tax consultant who worked in Bathampton, died at the scene of the crash.
His partner of four years and fianc??e, Tamara Richards, said his death was a tragic waste of life.
"We are all devastated by the loss of James," said Miss Richards.
Flowers have been placed near the scene of the crash which killed the Frome resident, who was due to get married next year.
"I am so glad to have known him," said Miss Richards, 26.
"He will be remembered for his cheeky smile, sense of humour and love for family and friends."
Police investigators say there is no evidence to suggest any other vehicle was involved in the crash, which happened at around 7.45pm last Thursday.
A force spokesman said: "As Mr Eyers approached Sally-in-the-Woods in his black Skoda Octavia, he negotiated a right-hand bend.
"But then, for reasons yet to be established, he left the road, spun and collided with a tree."
Mr Eyers is the second person to die on the treacherous stretch of road in recent years and many more have been injured.
Yesterday, Bathford Parish Council renewed its calls for urgent action to be taken to make the road safer.
It has written to Avon and Somerset Police and Bath and North East Somerset Council repeating a call it made in February for speed patrols on the road - although no suggestion has been made that speed was a factor in this latest accident.
Double white lines banning overtaking have recently been extended along the length of the road and the speed limit has been cut from 60mph to 50mph with a 40mph limit at key points.
But parish council chairwoman Cllr Shirley Beazer says more must be done.
"It is such a dangerous road, it's lethal," she said.
"We are fighting really hard all the time for anything that will improve it, but it all just takes so long. We need something now.
"It's dreadful that there's been another death. One is too many, now we have had two. We need drastic measures."
She said a speed camera would make people realise how dangerous the road is.
A B &NES Council spokesman yesterday confirmed that a speed camera patrols would be sent to the area.
"A number of traffic safety measures have been introduced along the A363, including an overtaking ban," he said.
"The council has also agreed with the Safety Camera Partnership that mobile speed cameras will be used along the route.
"There is no previous accident history at the location where last week's car accident occurred."
Anyone who can help should telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. b.murch@bathchron.co.uk
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FIANCEE SPEAKS OF DEVASTATION AT TRAGIC CRASH
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08:00 - 29 March 2007
The fiancee of a man killed in a car crash at a notorious accident blackspot has spoken of her devastation.
James Eyers' car hit a tree on the A363 at Sally-in-the-Woods, near Bathford, as he drove home from work.
Mr Eyers, a tax consultant who worked in Bathampton, died at the scene of the crash.
His partner of four years and fianc??e, Tamara Richards, said his death was a tragic waste of life.
"We are all devastated by the loss of James," said Miss Richards.
Flowers have been placed near the scene of the crash which killed the Frome resident, who was due to get married next year.
"I am so glad to have known him," said Miss Richards, 26.
"He will be remembered for his cheeky smile, sense of humour and love for family and friends."
Police investigators say there is no evidence to suggest any other vehicle was involved in the crash, which happened at around 7.45pm last Thursday.
A force spokesman said: "As Mr Eyers approached Sally-in-the-Woods in his black Skoda Octavia, he negotiated a right-hand bend.
"But then, for reasons yet to be established, he left the road, spun and collided with a tree."
Mr Eyers is the second person to die on the treacherous stretch of road in recent years and many more have been injured.
Yesterday, Bathford Parish Council renewed its calls for urgent action to be taken to make the road safer.
It has written to Avon and Somerset Police and Bath and North East Somerset Council repeating a call it made in February for speed patrols on the road - although no suggestion has been made that speed was a factor in this latest accident.
Double white lines banning overtaking have recently been extended along the length of the road and the speed limit has been cut from 60mph to 50mph with a 40mph limit at key points.
But parish council chairwoman Cllr Shirley Beazer says more must be done.
"It is such a dangerous road, it's lethal," she said.
"We are fighting really hard all the time for anything that will improve it, but it all just takes so long. We need something now.
"It's dreadful that there's been another death. One is too many, now we have had two. We need drastic measures."
She said a speed camera would make people realise how dangerous the road is.
A B &NES Council spokesman yesterday confirmed that a speed camera patrols would be sent to the area.
"A number of traffic safety measures have been introduced along the A363, including an overtaking ban," he said.
"The council has also agreed with the Safety Camera Partnership that mobile speed cameras will be used along the route.
"There is no previous accident history at the location where last week's car accident occurred."
Anyone who can help should telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. b.murch@bathchron.co.uk
www.thisisbath.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163490&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163316&contentPK=16988527&folderPk=89126&pNodeId=163047
targarama said:
Cut the bl00dy tree down!
Remove all lampposts, telgraph poles and trees from the roadside near bends.
Remove all lampposts, telgraph poles and trees from the roadside near bends.
Put a bloody road calming measures in such as rumble strips and speed humps. Bloody speed traps will not help at all, just raise more flipping revenue, typical Police reaction, "oh well just go an nick more people".
People are dying, and the answer is just to nick people for speeding, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BLOODY ROAD FOR GOD SAKE.
USE THE MONEY YOU GET FROM SPEED TRAPS ELSEWHERE, AND PUT "ROAD CALMING MEASUREs IN"
And yes, I was shouting!!!!!!!!!!
Mr F
Mon Ami Mate said:
The fiancee of a man killed in a car crash at a notorious accident blackspot has spoken of her devastation.
"There is no previous accident history at the location where last week's car accident occurred."
Very tragic and another result of a death caused by unprotected road furniture but these 2 statements also seem to contradist themselves somewhat.
If there are trees/lamposts etc that obviously cause a risk then either remove them or fit barriers.
pdV6 said:
Executive summary: Guy has a crash. We all must suffer as a result.
No no no. Should be: -
Executive summary said:
"Page left intentionally blank"
This just demonstrates that their *is* some belief by (albeit sometimes otherwise sensible) stupid people that speed cameras make things safer. All they are is *another* potentially fatal object to hit.
Don't take this the wrong way, but the day that somebody brakes hard, skids and is killed on colliding with a speed camera might just be the day that something is done about them...but no, that will be seen as "an accident".
pdV6 said:
Executive summary: Guy has a crash. We all must suffer as a result.
That's a good point. The majority of fatal accidents I deal with would, like this one, be considered "own goals". Tragic, certainly, but more often than not, the fault of the driver.
Motoring, by it's very nature, is a dangerous activity, but so are many, many aspects of our daily lives. I don't like heights, but I'd never call for a ban on tall buildings just because people fall off them sometimes. Neither would I be bloody stupid enough to blame the building, so how could this accident possibly be the fault of the road? Roads aren't dangerous, and neither are vehicles. A driver in a moving vehicle, however, is dangerous, and no amount of road signs will stop people driving like tits if they decide that they want to.
It's time that the country accepted that we've got fatal accidents down to an acceptable level (considering the number of vahicles on the roads), and accepts that these things will always happen, no matter what safety measures you put in place.
The road in question is the red road here: www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=379320&y=165000&z=3&sv=379320,165000&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=379320&ay=165000
It's not even slightly technically challenging. It runs through woods, so you can't cut the trees down, neither should we need to. A chap was killed on it a few years ago when he crashed his Boxster into an oncoming HGV. His wife immediately signed up with Roadpeace and Brake and the road was then given a 50 limit and made no overtaking. Now we have a second person die here I suspect that we'll get a 40mph limit and a camera. In the past I have safely traversed this road at a not inconsiderable rate, on both two and four wheels. There's nothing wrong with the road.
It's not even slightly technically challenging. It runs through woods, so you can't cut the trees down, neither should we need to. A chap was killed on it a few years ago when he crashed his Boxster into an oncoming HGV. His wife immediately signed up with Roadpeace and Brake and the road was then given a 50 limit and made no overtaking. Now we have a second person die here I suspect that we'll get a 40mph limit and a camera. In the past I have safely traversed this road at a not inconsiderable rate, on both two and four wheels. There's nothing wrong with the road.
Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Thursday 29th March 12:09
Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Thursday 29th March 12:09
The presence of trees, lighting, etc at the side of the road on a bend actually helps the driver (at least during daylight hours for trees) by showing the sharpness of the bend and hence allowing you to adjust your speed accordingly. In general terms, IMHO, they should be keeping the speed limit at 60mph and putting a warning sign before the bend. Any accidents are then down to specifics rather than a generic issue. I'm fed up with the 'dumbing down' to the lowest common denominator - a sign of the nanny state and car hating lentilheads in positions of influence/power.
All IMHO, of course.
Julian
All IMHO, of course.
Julian
Agree with Reg - I have lost count of how many roads are "the worst road in the UK".
Many years ago there was a road in "my area" that was supposed to be an accident blackspot, and we were supposed to sort it out. So rather than this kneejerk crap we see now, we looked at the causes of accidents. It's so long ago that I can't remember them all, but the 3 "fatals" I do remember.
1.
Newspaper version. Brothers die on killer road.
Facts. Head-on impact between a car (with the 2 lads in) and a bus. One of them was on the wrong side of the road, I can't remember which. One of the drivers was bladdered (the one on the wrong side of the road).
Response. Council puts in those hatched centre markings to better separate opposing directions of traffic - you know, those narrow hatched lanes that motorbikes use.
2.
Newspaper version. Man dies on killer road taking christmas presents home to his kids.
Facts. Man drives home in works van after extensive christmas celebration at work. Kids presents in back of van. Van towing a trailer with enormous pallet of bricks which weighed more than the van. Vehicle stops ahead to turn right. Van brakes hard to avoid right turner, trailer does tankslapper and pulls van off road and into surrounding scenery. Driver crushed by trailer full of bricks.
Response. Council renews all white lines with high-reflectance paint (and I can assure you they were bloody bright at night!), puts up 2 "junction ahead" warning signs, "slow" markings on road and a chevron sign (the junction was on a slight bend).
3.
Newspaper version. Lorry driver dies at notorious black spot.
Facts. Same junction as 2 above. Articulated lorry drives 120 miles with trailer brakes not connected properly, then half a mile into my area, a vehicle stops ahead to turn right. Lorry brakes to avoid right turner, trailer brakes disconnect, lorry jacknifes and pulls cab off road and into surrounding scenery. Driver crushed by trailer.
Response. Well there wasn't much more they could do to be honest!
After that (and after I left) the requirements for speed limits were relaxed so the limit was lowered to 50 following an extensive public campaign. Now the same number of accidents probably happen (because drivers are just as stupid as always) but at least they (mostly) don't get hurt so badly. Usually. I don't know what the actual accident record is though, I don't go that way that often.
Many years ago there was a road in "my area" that was supposed to be an accident blackspot, and we were supposed to sort it out. So rather than this kneejerk crap we see now, we looked at the causes of accidents. It's so long ago that I can't remember them all, but the 3 "fatals" I do remember.
1.
Newspaper version. Brothers die on killer road.
Facts. Head-on impact between a car (with the 2 lads in) and a bus. One of them was on the wrong side of the road, I can't remember which. One of the drivers was bladdered (the one on the wrong side of the road).
Response. Council puts in those hatched centre markings to better separate opposing directions of traffic - you know, those narrow hatched lanes that motorbikes use.
2.
Newspaper version. Man dies on killer road taking christmas presents home to his kids.
Facts. Man drives home in works van after extensive christmas celebration at work. Kids presents in back of van. Van towing a trailer with enormous pallet of bricks which weighed more than the van. Vehicle stops ahead to turn right. Van brakes hard to avoid right turner, trailer does tankslapper and pulls van off road and into surrounding scenery. Driver crushed by trailer full of bricks.
Response. Council renews all white lines with high-reflectance paint (and I can assure you they were bloody bright at night!), puts up 2 "junction ahead" warning signs, "slow" markings on road and a chevron sign (the junction was on a slight bend).
3.
Newspaper version. Lorry driver dies at notorious black spot.
Facts. Same junction as 2 above. Articulated lorry drives 120 miles with trailer brakes not connected properly, then half a mile into my area, a vehicle stops ahead to turn right. Lorry brakes to avoid right turner, trailer brakes disconnect, lorry jacknifes and pulls cab off road and into surrounding scenery. Driver crushed by trailer.
Response. Well there wasn't much more they could do to be honest!
After that (and after I left) the requirements for speed limits were relaxed so the limit was lowered to 50 following an extensive public campaign. Now the same number of accidents probably happen (because drivers are just as stupid as always) but at least they (mostly) don't get hurt so badly. Usually. I don't know what the actual accident record is though, I don't go that way that often.
I don't agree with cutting the trees down, they are standing there minding their own business when people seem to want to use them as brakes.
Road signage should be made better, its taken Allerdale Council 3 deaths to do something about a corner on the A595 eastwards from Bothel to Wigton. All vehicles hit the line of trees on a 90 degree bend. Now there is better road markings, a roadside display that lights up showing tight bend and reflective boards leading up to the corner. Its a million times better and if councils spent more time assessing the roads and increasing signage i'd bet the accident rate would fall.
Road signage should be made better, its taken Allerdale Council 3 deaths to do something about a corner on the A595 eastwards from Bothel to Wigton. All vehicles hit the line of trees on a 90 degree bend. Now there is better road markings, a roadside display that lights up showing tight bend and reflective boards leading up to the corner. Its a million times better and if councils spent more time assessing the roads and increasing signage i'd bet the accident rate would fall.
This is basic stats.
Such driver error accidents are usually random in place and time. There is a small chance of a casualty ain one area. The chances of having 2 in the same area are greatly reduced but still non-zero.
The fact there were two fatalities in one area does not automatically mean that the road is dangerous. If the road really is dangerous, then should it not be engineered it to nip the problem in the bud?
Such driver error accidents are usually random in place and time. There is a small chance of a casualty ain one area. The chances of having 2 in the same area are greatly reduced but still non-zero.
The fact there were two fatalities in one area does not automatically mean that the road is dangerous. If the road really is dangerous, then should it not be engineered it to nip the problem in the bud?
smeggy said:
This is basic stats.
Such driver error accidents are usually random in place and time. There is a small chance of a casualty ain one area. The chances of having 2 in the same area are greatly reduced but still non-zero.
The fact there were two fatalities in one area does not automatically mean that the road is dangerous. If the road really is dangerous, then should it not be engineered it to nip the problem in the bud?
Such driver error accidents are usually random in place and time. There is a small chance of a casualty ain one area. The chances of having 2 in the same area are greatly reduced but still non-zero.
The fact there were two fatalities in one area does not automatically mean that the road is dangerous. If the road really is dangerous, then should it not be engineered it to nip the problem in the bud?
Is there any such thing as a dangerous road? Roads are inanimate. They can't jump out and bite you. For every person that crashes at any spot, millions of journeys must be made with no incident. It isn't the road, it's the road user that is the variable.
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