Call for more measures to slow traffic on A10 after Setch crash

Villagers near Lynn are not being listened to over road safety concerns following a crash near the site of a controversial speed camera, it was claimed yesterday.

One person is believed to have been hurt in the incident on the A10 at Setch on Friday evening.

But the collision happened out of sight of a camera installed at the Garage Lane junction last year, despite opposition from residents and local representatives.

And resident Stanley Briggs believes additional measures are now needed to resolve issues along the route, warning someone could be killed without action.

He said: "The county council are not addressing the problem."

Police yesterday confirmed officers were called to a collision to the south of the Garage Lane junction, involving a blue Ford Kuga and a blue Citroen C3, at around 7.30pm on Friday evening.

Witnesses are still being sought, though no serious injuries were reported.

Mr Briggs said the incident happened outside the home he has lived in for the past 16 years, around 200 yards from the junction.

In that time, he says he has seen at least nine collisions, including one where a car landed on a neighbour's driveway and another in which emergency crews spent nearly two hours cutting a van driver free.

He added: "Some people have even got hi-vis jackets now to stop the traffic, because of the frequency it happens."

A fixed speed camera was re-installed at the Garage Lane junction in January, despite fears that its own position was itself a hazard by reducing visibility for drivers joining the A10.

County council chiefs argued that the measure would improve safety along the route where seven collisions in which injuries were caused had occurred in the previous five years.

But Mr Briggs claims he warned officials they were putting the camera in the wrong place, only to be told other sites were more expensive.

He believes the main problem is in bends out of view of the camera, where he says excess speed forces drivers towards the centre of the road.

Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for transport, said yesterday: “When funds became available through the Safety Camera Partnership for a new safety camera in Norfolk, the staggered crossroads in Setchey was identified as the accident cluster site that would most benefit from a safety camera after assessing injury accidents recorded by the police.

“We’re continuing to carefully monitor this location.”

But other major roads in West Norfolk, such as the A17 and A149, have had average speed cameras installed to slow drivers down in recent years.

And Mr Briggs said: "That's what we should have here, all along this road. This road should be 30."

The call has also been endorsed by the area's county councillor, Alexandra Kemp.

She said: "The A10 is a dangerous road, managed by the county council, and it needs proper safety measures putting in."

He also warned the lack of a pedestrian crossing in the village means it is not only drivers who are at risk, but residents, particularly youngsters using buses to get to and from school.

He said: "Someone is going to die crossing the road."

Calls were made last summer for improved pedestrian links near the bridge over the River Nar, where traffic comes within inches of walkers using the existing path.

The county council said it was happy to look at "feasible options" to increase walking and cycling in the area.

Anyone who has information about Friday's incident is asked to contact police via the non-emergency 101 number, quoting incident number 397 of May 20.