HAVING been at the forefront of the campaign to cut the carnage on the notorious moorland Grane Road link between Haslingden and Blackburn, this newspaper is glad that the road dubbed as Lancashire's most dangerous is now much safer.

But although the traffic safety measures and lower speed limits installed in 2000 in response to the campaign have halved the accident rate and cut the once-dreadful death toll to zero, might still more be done to make the road safer still?

Residents have seen it transformed from a B-road into a national trunk route ever since it became a short cut to and from the A56 Haslingden by-pass after the M65 was extended west of from Blackburn.

The steep and winding Grane Road is now a magnet for truckers out to save mileage, time and diesel by avoiding the longer route to the M65 at Huncoat -- despite signs directing them that way. And, even with the safety measures, the Grane's combination of crawling lorries and impatient car drivers remains a strong force for overtaking accidents.

Now residents want the Grane Road risk reduced through a weight restriction on vehicles. But the police say they haven't the resources to enforce one. And traffic engineers say the lowered accident rate rules out further safety measures.

But why not reduce the traffic and dangers on the Grane at a stroke by ending its role as a short cut -- by stopping access to and from it on the A56? It's a measure that now needs to be considered.