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Residents still want action on Grane Road (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Residents still want action on Grane Road
4:10pm Sunday 17th January 2010
More stories about: Grane Road
RESIDENTS say more action is needed on a notorious East Lancashire road where a major safety initiative was introduced.
In February 2006, a restriction was placed on HGV drivers using the Grane Road as a short-cut between the A56 and M65 after fears that large vehicles were a contributing factor to a high level of road traffic accidents.
Since the three-year restriction was introduced, the county council has received complaints from Grane Road residents claiming some HGV drivers were choosing to ignore the ban.
And since the restriction was imposed, the number of accidents between the Grey Mare pub and the Holden Arms, in Grane Road, has actually increased from 41, between 2003 and 2006, to 50 during the last three years The number of fatal collisions has also gone up from one, between 2003 and 2006, to three in the last three years, since the lorry ban was launched.
Tony Hodbod, a member of Grane Road Residents’ Association, said: “The HGV ban has to stay because it has improved safety around the inhabited area of Grane Road.
"The stretch where the accidents take place is prone to “mad drivers syndrome” and what it needs is simple measures to tackle speed, aggression, and impatience.
“We have been hammering the county council since 1998 for these measures, but they have not come through. There needs to be speed cameras and a mini roundabout at the Holden Arms, which would force drivers to slow down.
"The HGV drivers who ignore the ban are usually Europeans following a sat-nav.”
A discussion on the recent statistics will be held at the Rossendale Lancashire Local meeting tonight.
A county council report to the meeting says: “There has been a significant reduction in HGVs on Grane Road.
“In January 2006, 834 HGVs were noted out of a total of 11,843 vehicles counted (7per cent) and in April 2006, 103 HGVs were noted out of a total of 12,909 vehicles counted (0.8per cent).
“Recent manual checks have also revealed that the numbers of HGVs are currently less than 0.5per cent of the total traffic volume.”
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Your Say YourTelegraph
pip-pip, says...
6:25pm Sun 17 Jan 10
Until it is re-engineered, as slackerbtch suggests, no amount of white paint and warning signs or hot air at Lancashire Local meetings by nimby's will make any difference.
Oh! the name of the pub - the Pack Horse (road). That's what it was, and in the 21st century it still is just that - a pack horse road.
chrislancs, gt. harwood says...
7:01pm Sun 17 Jan 10
If you dont want trucks in your area. dont buy anything ever. simple.
cyberpaul, Blackburn says...
7:13pm Sun 17 Jan 10
What he REALLY means is that he wants to live in the countryside with his peace being unspoilt by ANY vehicles and getting HGVs banned was just his first step towards getting ALL vehicles banned.
Actually, what you need judging by the latest accident statistics, is MORE HGVs. If they are trundling along nose-to-tail at 30mph or less, then no-one would be able to go fast enough to have an accident.
Stone Island, Blackburn says...
7:21pm Sun 17 Jan 10
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My message to Alll drivers is; slow down, take your time, chill out, drive to the conditions you find yourselves in, set of a bit earlier. If you find yourselves running a bit late, so what?
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It's better to be a few minutes late in this world, than 20 years early in the next!
MerlinTheVoiceofReason, Ramsbottom says...
8:11pm Sun 17 Jan 10
slackerbtch wrote:What a complete idiot you are!
"Tony Hodbod, a member of the Grane Road Residents’ Association, said: “The HGV ban has to stay because it has improved safety around the inhabited area of Grane Road."
And what he actually means is HGV's cant come back because we dont like them coming through our village.
LCC can slap all the restrictions, all the speed limits, all the cameras it wants on that road and it wont do a jot to improve the current accident rate.
What the road needs is re-engineering to take out the bends and undulation... and the removal of the HGV ban.
The road is fine. Just drive to the conditions of the road.
What you really mean is you want to do 60-70 mph on a 50 mph road!
burner, blackburn says...
10:36pm Sun 17 Jan 10
slackerbtch, Blackburn says...
11:08pm Sun 17 Jan 10
Clearly the speed limit is not working, as it hasn't reduced the accident rate; say lets reduce it to 30 and see where that gets us.
Engineering, Education, Enforcement used to be the guiding force before road safety took to the fore; now its completely the other way around.
The initiatives of speed limit and weight limit have not had the effect of reducing accidents, so whats left - even MORE enforcement of limits that are already disregarded by the majority?
Improving the road structurally is the only way to resolve the problem. All the soft measures have been used to no effect.
burner, blackburn says...
11:32pm Sun 17 Jan 10
slackerbtch, Blackburn says...
12:05am Mon 18 Jan 10
Are there permenant speed limits on the M6 or M62 due to the land height and weather? No.
Take a look at google earth... yes the cost of actually improving the road would cost millions... yet each KSI statistic makes that cost benefit look more attractive each time.
Throwing more money at enforcing an unrealistic speed limit will never prevent all the accidents on that road... I would bet that it wouldnt save more than one or two a year at most. Whats the betting that most of these accidents actually were caused not by people driving over the speed limit, but by inappropriate use of speed in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Those accidents can only be engineered out.
burner, blackburn says...
8:53am Mon 18 Jan 10
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I say that an improved road would attract a NEW 60 mph speed limit.
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Well let's see what happens when there is no spare money?
No C Parker, Rossendale says...
9:03am Mon 18 Jan 10
Re-education of drivers is what should happen. Observing the highway code, knowing that it's a speed limit, not a speed target plus a bit extra for good measure.
Slimplynth, Blackburn says...
12:54pm Mon 18 Jan 10
No C Parker, Rossendale says...
10:36pm Mon 18 Jan 10
SAFETY: There is a ban on HGV drivers
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slackerbtch, Blackburn says...
4:29pm Sun 17 Jan 10
And what he actually means is HGV's cant come back because we dont like them coming through our village.
LCC can slap all the restrictions, all the speed limits, all the cameras it wants on that road and it wont do a jot to improve the current accident rate.
What the road needs is re-engineering to take out the bends and undulation... and the removal of the HGV ban.