THE son of an elderly woman who died after a collision with a car at an accident blackspot, today welcomed plans to install a new pedestrian crossing.

Geoffrey Richardson, whose mother Vera, 78, died on Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, seven months ago, said: "I hope this means no-one will have to ever go through what I did."

Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved plans to install a pedestrian crossing near to where Mrs Richardson, a retired saleswoman, was hit.

They studied accident statistics following the death and have secured funding to install a zebra crossing -- which they say is the best option for controlling traffic on the road.

Mrs Richardson was struck by a Ford Mondeo as she crossed the road to go to the shops on Saturday, February 3.

The driver was not at fault.

Mrs Richarson was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary with serious head injuries and a suspected broken leg before being transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital, where she died the following Wednesday.

According to a Blackburn with Darwen Council highways report, there have been 16 people injured in accidents on Whitebirk Road -- which runs from the M65 roundabout to Blackburn Road -- since January 1996.

Seven of them were pedestrians, including several children.

The pedestrian crossing will be put into place near to the junction of Whitebirk Road and Hereford Road.

Mr Richardson, who lived with his mother, said: "I am pleased that the council has taken action, because, although only one person had died there recently, it is one person too many. "Although the man driving the car which hit my mother was not driving too fast, there are a lot of people who do and, hopefully, this will slow them down.

"People need somewhere safe to cross.

"Nothing can ever bring someone back, but there is a crumb of comfort in the fact action has been taken as a result of my mother's death."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "It is proposed to commence works here in October.

"The zebra crossing should assist pedestrians, especially children travelling to and from Intack County Primary School.

"It should not result in the loss of any on-street parking."

Residents in the area had been campaigning before Mrs Richardson's death for traffic-calming measures.

They had enlisted the support of Blackburn MP Jack Straw and had warned that somebody would die.

Speed humps were ruled out because the road is too busy.