0:00:02 > 0:00:05Last year, almost 1,900 people were killed on Britain's roads.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08It was just like the end of your world.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And it's not always the motorists that are to blame.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15She would have been alive if there had been barriers there.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Today, we expose these killer roads and ask
0:00:17 > 0:00:20if enough is being done to prevent more needless deaths.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24To stop any other mum or dad walking into a hospital
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and having to identify their son.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Welcome to East Scotland.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Those glorious foothills behind me mark the start of the Highlands
0:00:37 > 0:00:44and linking this area to the North Sea is this road here - the A937.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48It's a relatively minor A road, but it has recently been blacklisted,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52making it one of the most high risk roads in Britain.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Collisions have occurred up and down the length of this road,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58but one spot in particular has locals up in arms.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03That's where the road crosses one of Scotland's major dual carriageways,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05which you can see there,
0:01:05 > 0:01:06just beyond those trees.
0:01:11 > 0:01:1590 miles north of Edinburgh on the edge of Aberdeenshire,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19the A937 is an important eight mile link between the coastal town
0:01:19 > 0:01:22of Montrose and the A90 dual carriageway.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And it's where the two roads meet, next to the village
0:01:26 > 0:01:30of Laurencekirk, which has become the focal point of local anger.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31In the last ten years,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35the A937 and the A90 junction have witnessed 82 accidents
0:01:35 > 0:01:41resulting in injury, including 19 serious injuries and seven deaths.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I'm going to be meeting some of the people most affected
0:01:45 > 0:01:47by the nightmare junction
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and those who've tried hard to get improvements made to it.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55But first, to get there, I'm taking a drive up the notorious A937.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01OK, so here we are. This is my first time driving the A937.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04The first thing you notice is that it is quite a small road,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07maybe a little bit smaller than you expect.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The road has been patched up in parts, particularly the edges.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12A few potholes there.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17I'm on my way to check out the A937's junction with the A90,
0:02:17 > 0:02:22a crossroads that has been inciting local anger for the past decade.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26But the A937 is also a problem road in its own right.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The Road Safety Foundation has recently given this road
0:02:30 > 0:02:34a black rating, the highest risk category of all.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Just up here around this corner is sadly where there was
0:02:37 > 0:02:38a head-on collision.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42A nine-year-old girl was killed. It was in the morning.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45She was on her way to school.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Her mother and sister survived,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51but sadly, this nine-year-old girl was killed outright at the scene.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55That was back in 2007.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Thankfully, the local council have now carried out resurfacing work
0:02:59 > 0:03:02that's greatly improved this particular problem stretch.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Now, just a bit further down the road is the point on
0:03:11 > 0:03:14the A937 that's created most of the headlines.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The notorious junction with the A90.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I'm not going to head onto the junction just yet.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23First, I'm going to go and see a local man who tragically has
0:03:23 > 0:03:27more reason than most to speak out about this particular crossroads.
0:03:27 > 0:03:33In 2004, Jim Graham lost his 20-year-old son Jamie in a fatal
0:03:33 > 0:03:36car crash at the Laurencekirk crossroads.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38And to respect Jim's wishes, I've agreed to meet him
0:03:38 > 0:03:41well away from the junction in question.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Jim, thank you for agreeing to talk to me today.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47I know it's not an easy subject. What happened that evening?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50What were the circumstances of Jamie's crash?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Jamie was actually in Montrose with my other son, Scott.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55They were travelling home.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The roads were busy and there had been torrential rain that...
0:03:59 > 0:04:00that evening as well.
0:04:00 > 0:04:06Apparently, there was a lorry coming south, kicking up a lot of spray
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and behind that lorry was a car
0:04:09 > 0:04:14that Jamie didn't see, obviously because of the spray.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20He made an attempt to cross the road and was struck by the car.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Jamie had been caught out by one of the key problems
0:04:22 > 0:04:24at the A90 junction.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26For people crossing the dual carriageway,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30there can be a blind spot when a large approaching vehicle
0:04:30 > 0:04:33in one lane can block the sight of another vehicle in the other lane.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Jamie's car was hit at speed on the driver's side
0:04:38 > 0:04:42and ended up on its roof in the central reservation.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I had this strangest feeling around about that time
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and I tried to telephone Jamie
0:04:49 > 0:04:51to make sure he was OK.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- You were at home here?- I was here, in the house. There was no answer.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And I thought, this isn't right.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03It was going through my head that something serious had happened.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06So I jumped in my car and headed up to the junction
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and a police officer came across to me and said, "Who are you?"
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I said, "Mr Graham."
0:05:13 > 0:05:17At that, his attitude seemed to change and I said, "You don't
0:05:17 > 0:05:21"have to say anything because I know something has happened."
0:05:21 > 0:05:25The sergeant said to me, "Would you like to see your son?"
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I said, "Yes, I would like to see him."
0:05:29 > 0:05:30So I went into the ambulance
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and he was lying there as though he was sleeping with just a tiny
0:05:34 > 0:05:37line of blood coming from his ear.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- There was nothing...? - He just looked as if he was sleeping.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46It was internal injuries that killed him. Massive internal injuries.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Haemorrhage.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50And my heart just sunk.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And then, the sergeant said to me,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58"Would you like us to inform your wife?"
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I said, "No, I'll do that myself."
0:06:01 > 0:06:07And I'll always remember the look on her face that day with the news
0:06:07 > 0:06:08that I passed on to her.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12I keep seeing the car all the time.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18And seeing Jamie and seeing the scene over and over in my mind.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Sadly, Jamie Graham's crash in 2004 was not an isolated incident.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27In fact, it was part of a grim period at the Laurencekirk junction
0:06:27 > 0:06:30in which four people were killed in as many years.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35In 2001, two people died here in one accident,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37witnessed by Montrose resident Liz Sutherland.
0:06:39 > 0:06:46It was a Saturday lunchtime about 12 o'clock. I followed two ladies driving
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and I didn't question their driving whatsoever.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Unfortunately, the lady pulled out
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and she was hit at 70 miles an hour by a 4x4.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59I was first on the scene, ran into the road, basically,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01stopped the rest of the traffic coming.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I didn't know where the rest of the traffic was going to end up
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and I had two children in the car at the time.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I dialled 999,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12got the emergency services there as quickly as possible.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Reassured the lady driver.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I wasn't sure if she could hear me, but by touching,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I reassured her that there was somebody there and help was on its way.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23She was unconscious at that time.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Unfortunately, there was another lady that had been thrown forward
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and she was lying in the footwell inside the car with the impact.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32One died at the scene and from what I can remember,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35the other one died on the way to hospital.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Ten accidents resulting in injury, six serious injuries
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and four deaths in five years -
0:07:39 > 0:07:41clearly, the residents of Laurencekirk
0:07:41 > 0:07:44live alongside a constant threat.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49The people in the Laurencekirk area, a lot of them,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51they prefer not to use that junction at all.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55By virtue of the fact that you're crossing four lanes of traffic,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57it's fundamentally unsafe.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I'm surprised there aren't more accidents,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02due to the way that the junction's laid out.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It's terrible. Awful junction.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08People doubling up beside you - two, three, four cars at a time.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11And it's just not safe. It's just not safe. I don't use that junction.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I avoid it as much as I possibly can.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It seriously needs to be looked at before somebody else's life is lost.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Amazingly, in a 50 mile stretch,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26the A937 is the only A road to cross the dual carriageway without
0:08:26 > 0:08:29the help of a motorway-style graded junction.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32For instance, just south of Laurencekirk, near Forfar,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35there are two junctions which have received
0:08:35 > 0:08:39the full treatment of slip roads, an underpass and a flyover.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Work on these two junctions was completed in 2003.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47But eight years later,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51there is still no plan to build anything similar at Laurencekirk.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Of course, to fully appreciate the local outrage here,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00I've got to experience the junction for myself.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04To do that, I've come here to the village of Laurencekirk,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08which lies just alongside the A90, to meet a lady who's ideally
0:09:08 > 0:09:10qualified to guide me through it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Julie Watson is a Laurencekirk resident.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- Hi, Julie! - Hi there, Drew, how are you?
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And with 12 years' experience as a driving instructor here,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22she knows the local roads better than most.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Julie, this is our car.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- Before we jump in, this is supposed to be a very dangerous junction. - Yes, it is.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Did you just completely avoid it when you were teaching?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35No, I didn't avoid it when I was teaching.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37I prefer to take pupils up to the junction.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40If they want to go to Montrose, it's the nearest junction.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43But it is dangerous. There's a lot to look out for.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46OK, I'm going to have you guiding me through it - a qualified lady!
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- So you go and jump in your side.- OK.- Let's get going.- OK.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57OK, so if you look to your right, you'll see the traffic.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00What you've got to remember is, even though this is a 50,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02it's just temporary.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06There's an amount of people that don't sit at the speed limit.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If you look to your right, you've got a yellow van coming in.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12You watch what's going to happen when that yellow van comes in.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- Can you see that bus behind? - No, I've lost the bus.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- Suddenly, I see a bus coming down fast.- Yes! And a lorry.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23But before you even think about moving into the central reservation,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25look left,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29because you're going to have traffic turning right into here as well.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- He's coming across. - So he's got priority.- OK.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And then you've got a large lorry which is coming up to overtake.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- This isn't a quick process!- No.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41You have to really be patient here.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45And then you've got that silver car in the centre - you don't know
0:10:45 > 0:10:47whether it's coming into the slip road or
0:10:47 > 0:10:50if it's joining the dual carriageway.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- Too late.- Then you've got a red car that's just coming...
0:10:54 > 0:10:59- So again, it's blinding your view of all traffic coming.- Yeah, it is.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I can see anything behind it.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04There probably wasn't, I could've gone, but there wasn't enough time.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But then again, you need your eyes in all sorts of places here.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11You've got a black car joining the dual carriageway
0:11:11 > 0:11:14in the overtaking lane, which is not really supposed to happen.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18But this is what happens. I think you've got a gap coming up here.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22It looks good from that way. I can probably get in to the central reservation.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- Keep your vehicle straight. - Straight!
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- How many cars of you got behind you? - One. With a trailer.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- Yes, and he'll probably come and join you.- Oh, right.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35He's either going to join you on the left or he's going to sit on your right.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- This is a gap, isn't it?- Yep.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42- All the way across into this lane and indicate.- There you go. Well done.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Now, how long did that take you?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- It did take a little while and this isn't rush-hour.- Exactly.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49We had to take our time
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and I did notice there was someone waiting behind me.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- He was thankfully very patient. - Did he put pressure on you?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58He didn't, but I could almost start to... I'm just a polite, nice guy!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I could feel the pressure building.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Can you imagine if you had three, four, ten cars behind you?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05And you're sitting there waiting.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06There's nothing you can do.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And unlike most people who have to use this junction,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14we are now turning round and heading straight back to Laurencekirk.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17And this time, there's a car in front or two cars in front.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Two cars. And possibly a learner.- Oh, yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I feel like a learner today, with a driving instructor next to me.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27A new experience!
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Right, so this is the point where we try not to pressure anyone else.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36- Just sit tight.- Yes, and don't get too close.- Give her time.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37So, what is she feeling?
0:12:37 > 0:12:41In that car in front of us, she's probably a learner,
0:12:41 > 0:12:42she's got someone with her.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47How scary was this for a learner when you were taking people on this?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Probably terrified. Absolutely terrified.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52She's scared that she's going to stall,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56she's scared she's not going to see something, that she misses something,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00so yeah, she probably won't even have time to blink.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02That's how bad it can be here.
0:13:02 > 0:13:09- Off she goes!- She's done it! Well done. Yes. That was good. - Good going.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- But it did take a while. That took at least a minute.- Yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17If you're in a hurry, you can't be in a hurry.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Again, he's blocking my view.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- This one's changing lanes very late.- That's it.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- That was messy.- That was.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- It's already been about a minute for us, hasn't it?- Yes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32- But then now look in your mirror. - Oh! I don't want to look in my mirror!
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Let's pretend they aren't waiting!
0:13:33 > 0:13:38- I was looking in my mirror so I know exactly how many are there! - I like your little mirror!
0:13:40 > 0:13:46- There's your gap.- Yep, look the other way. I think I'm OK. Here we go.- Good.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49A minute and a half later, we're into the middle.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Can you see past me OK? - I can see past you OK.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- You've got a red car just on your...- He just snuck up there!
0:13:55 > 0:13:57And he's giving me nasty looks.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Yes, because he's looking at you as if you're in the wrong.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- And I give way here.- You have to give way.- All fine.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I found that mildly stressful,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09especially with that other car cutting inside at the last minute.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12And the way he looked at you as well, as if you were in the wrong!
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- Yeah! He wasn't the politest.- No!
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Thank you. That was a very eye-opening experience
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and it made a difference having you here.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21Good. I'm glad.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25There is no doubt - the A937's crossing with the A90
0:14:25 > 0:14:28is a thoroughly intimidating junction.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32But to get an independent assessment on the state of the junction,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35we showed footage of my driving lesson to John Dawson,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40a road engineer with over 35 years of experience of British roads.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43As a former chief engineer of Scottish roads and current chair
0:14:43 > 0:14:48of the European Road Assessment Programme, John is ideally placed to comment.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52The horror about the A937 is of course that junction with
0:14:52 > 0:14:58the A90, which really was pretty frightening.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02There can't be many major junctions left which are laid out
0:15:02 > 0:15:04like that in Britain. There will be deaths
0:15:04 > 0:15:10and serious injuries at a junction laid out like this.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Whether they come in a bunch in year seven or
0:15:12 > 0:15:16whether they come spread out over a couple of years is just
0:15:16 > 0:15:20a matter of good fortune or bad fortune.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Most countries, most places,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27that sort of junction really isn't acceptable.
0:15:27 > 0:15:33You're talking about a driver having first of all to judge a gap
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and cross two lanes of fast-moving traffic
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and then brake to a halt in the centre of the road
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and do the same thing all over again on the other side.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48And it really is not safe, because one slip and quite literally,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53you're dead and the person coming the other way who hit you is also dead.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And the death rate at these junctions is well known,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00well understood and they need to be eliminated.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04So just who is responsible for this junction and why is it
0:16:04 > 0:16:09largely unaltered since Jamie Graham died here over seven years ago?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11In truth, it's slightly complicated.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12The A937
0:16:12 > 0:16:16just here is the responsibility of Aberdeenshire Council.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Whereas the A90 just there is one of the country's premier
0:16:20 > 0:16:25trunk roads and so falls under the jurisdiction of Transport Scotland.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Any work carried out on this junction would have to be
0:16:28 > 0:16:30paid for by Transport Scotland.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Naturally, therefore, we wanted to speak to them.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38Unfortunately, they told us no one was available to comment on camera.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Disappointing. However, there is one lady who will speak to me on camera.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46She's made herself very well known with all the local organisations round here
0:16:46 > 0:16:52in campaigning for this junction to be dramatically re-engineered.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Jill, how did you get involved in this? Why did you start the campaign?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Back in 2004, I was running a flower shop in Laurencekirk
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and there was an accident at the junction.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08And a young man, Jamie Graham, was killed.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12And a few days after that, some of his family came in to get
0:17:12 > 0:17:16flowers to put up at the crash site and it was seeing his brother
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and sisters, just the devastation in their faces.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Just young people, and they shouldn't know pain like that.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It was just seeing them.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I just got so, so angry that yet another life had been lost
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and nothing was being done about it. So I just thought, start a petition.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35So how big did it get?
0:17:35 > 0:17:40We collected 6,700 signatures in the space of six weeks.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43You voiced something that people felt very strongly about.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Suddenly you realise just how much strength of feeling there was.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Well, we're all angry.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Every time we heard of another accident there,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53we heard the fire engines going up the high street,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58everybody's thoughts just go, it's the junction.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02- Somebody's been hurt, somebody's been killed. Who is it? - And what was the response?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Just how seriously did the authorities take it?
0:18:05 > 0:18:06They actually did listen.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Nicol Stephen was Transport Minister at the time
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and I did get to speak to him.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13He did say to us that he recognised
0:18:13 > 0:18:17that there was a real need for something to be done here.
0:18:17 > 0:18:23And he said that the ultimate goal for the junction was a flyover.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28But that was going to take a minimum of three years to put in place,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30so they had to do something fast
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and the fastest solution was to reduce the speed limit.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Talk me through the temporary measures.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37What was introduced?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40The speed limit was reduced at the junction point
0:18:40 > 0:18:42on the A90 to 50 miles an hour.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47There was extra signage put in place and that sort of thing.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50So, nothing to change the slip roads
0:18:50 > 0:18:52or the waiting point in the middle, nothing like that?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- Nothing like that at all.- OK.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59But then we were led to believe that that would be a temporary measure.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05- So how long ago was that now? - That was six years ago. - Six years ago.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08And the temporary measure has become very permanent.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10We'll pick up more about the A937 later
0:19:10 > 0:19:14and hear what Transport Scotland have to say.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Clearly, local campaigners here still feel that more needs to
0:19:17 > 0:19:21be done to make the Laurencekirk junction safer.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22But so far, no action.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24However, in other parts of the country,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28notorious and deadly stretches of road have undergone extensive
0:19:28 > 0:19:33safety improvements and the dramatic results speak for themselves.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Nestled in the heart of Buckinghamshire is the A4128,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44nearly seven miles of single carriageway A road
0:19:44 > 0:19:47that runs from High Wycombe to Great Missenden.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49On one stretch of it,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52local campaigners have successfully petitioned for change
0:19:52 > 0:19:56and seen the road around a problem junction made dramatically safer.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00So much so, that this road was recently proclaimed
0:20:00 > 0:20:02as the country's most improved.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05As soon as I got down here,
0:20:05 > 0:20:10I realised just how dreadful a scene it was, the carnage was unbelievable.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I had to take their funeral here in church,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and they were local villagers, they were well known to people.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Between 2000 and 2006, the A4128 saw 42 accidents
0:20:22 > 0:20:28resulting in injury, including 12 serious injuries and five deaths.
0:20:28 > 0:20:3118-year-old Liam Logue tragically lost his life
0:20:31 > 0:20:35when his car collided with another vehicle in June 2005.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I remember it like it was yesterday.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44I was just going to bed and there was a horrible knock on the door.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48I opened the door and there was a policeman standing there...
0:20:50 > 0:20:56..and he asked me if this was the house where Liam lived,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00and he asked me if I was Liam's mum,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and I said yes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04And, obviously, at that time of night,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08when there's a policeman standing at the door, you kind of...
0:21:10 > 0:21:12..I didn't necessarily think the worst,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but I obviously knew something serious had happened,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and I wanted to know what had happened.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24He... I said, "What's happened? What's wrong?"
0:21:26 > 0:21:28And he said, "You've lost him."
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Liam had been at Hughenden Park for the afternoon
0:21:36 > 0:21:38with his girlfriend and friends.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40When it came time to come home,
0:21:40 > 0:21:47Bryony turned one way out of Hughenden car park to go home,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Liam turned the other way along the road...
0:21:54 > 0:21:59..and probably 20 seconds later had his accident.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06He was driving within the speed limit -
0:22:06 > 0:22:11I think from the investgations that were done,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14he was probably going about 40 mph or something -
0:22:14 > 0:22:19maybe a bit more than that, but certainly not any great speed.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Liam lost control of his car on a bend,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24skidded sideways into the oncoming lane
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and was hit by a car going the other way.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29He died in hospital from his injuries,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32leaving behind two younger brothers and an elder sister.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I think about him every day.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Amy has a baby now,
0:22:40 > 0:22:46so she's very sad that he's not here to see his niece.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52When Chris and Dan were learning to drive,
0:22:52 > 0:22:58it was very, very difficult to let them learn to drive,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01because I didn't want the same thing to happen to them.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05So you look forward to family events because you get together
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and see everybody, but then there's always somebody missing,
0:23:08 > 0:23:09so it's a bit sad.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14Liam Logue's death was the fourth to occur at this spot in seven years.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18At the time of his accident, a safety review of the A4128
0:23:18 > 0:23:22by Buckinghamshire County Council was already underway.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Local resident Dory Morgan was used to hearing about deaths
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and serious injuries on the A4128.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34For over 20 years, she'd been calling for something to be done about the road.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The A4128 in particular has always been a concern to us.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41The part of it that's really been of concern is the piece outside
0:23:41 > 0:23:44the manor and just either side of it.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47We've had a significant number of accidents there, including deaths
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and lots of near misses,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and we felt that there was something considerably wrong with that
0:23:52 > 0:23:55particular stretch of road and we wanted to do something about it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58When I first moved here, there seemed to be numerous accidents,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01things were happening, people were crashing their cars.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04We've had fences knocked down at the bottom of the road.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08We've had fatalities as well, and sadly an elderly couple driving
0:24:08 > 0:24:12to Wycombe, I think, on a Saturday morning, were killed by a driver
0:24:12 > 0:24:15coming the other way who missed the bend,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and I had to take their funeral here in church.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Dory and other local campaigners
0:24:20 > 0:24:23could see that on the stretch outside Hughenden Manor,
0:24:23 > 0:24:24the speed limit was too high,
0:24:24 > 0:24:29the bends weren't clearly marked, and visibility was poor.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31But it was the shocking death of fellow residents
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Bernard and Vera Poole in a head-on accident in 2003
0:24:36 > 0:24:39that would galvanise the local community into action.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43It was a Saturday, it was June 21, it was a nice sunny day.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48My husband and I were here with our sheep shearer, who comes every year,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and we were halfway through shearing sheep when we all heard this
0:24:52 > 0:24:56almighty bang and of course being in a valley it echoed around the hills.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I was able to leave the shearer and my husband with the sheep
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and dash down to the road to see what I could do to assist.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10As soon as I got down here I realised just how dreadful a scene it was,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12the carnage was unbelievable.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16The car on the other side in a real state, people trapped in it,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18another one on this side.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21There were plenty of people here taking care of the injured,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and so the next priority was to make sure that the road was safe,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27so I went along the other side of the entrance with Edie,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30who lives in a property here, to keep the traffic calm,
0:25:30 > 0:25:35to control the traffic, and to make sure there weren't any further casualties
0:25:35 > 0:25:37until the emergency services arrived.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Pensioners Bernard and Vera,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42who'd recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44were both killed in the accident.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47We just couldn't believe it, it felt unreal,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51particularly as they were quite prominent members of the village,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and they'd taken part in activities just the week before.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58To suddenly find that they weren't with us...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00it was quite a subdued village.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The residents' association decided that we needed to up our action,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09that we needed to make our campaign stronger, and within a week
0:26:09 > 0:26:12letters were sent out to various organisations,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15including the police, the county council,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18to try and bring about changes in the speed limit
0:26:18 > 0:26:23and also new street furniture to calm down the traffic.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26The campaigners argued for a reduced speed limit
0:26:26 > 0:26:28outside Hughenden Manor,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and for calming measures such as traffic islands to be installed.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Initially, we didn't seem to be getting very far.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It's often been quoted to us
0:26:38 > 0:26:41that there's no such thing as a dangerous road,
0:26:41 > 0:26:42just dangerous drivers,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47but if that was the case, we would have perhaps just one accident
0:26:47 > 0:26:51in that particular spot, you wouldn't have several, time and time again.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54There has to be something that has to change
0:26:54 > 0:26:58with either the make-up of the road or the speed of the road.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Within four months of Bernard and Vera's deaths,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Dory and the residents' association had taken a petition
0:27:04 > 0:27:07around the valley, demanding change.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10In November 2003, it was handed to the local county councillor,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14complete with 645 signatures.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I think the public were reasonably happy
0:27:16 > 0:27:19when they saw we were taking the matter seriously.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22It was an intense campaign, certainly - it involved myself
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and the officers making frequent lobbyings,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and we had many meetings with residents
0:27:28 > 0:27:31to see what we could do to address their concerns,
0:27:31 > 0:27:37and so it was a fairly long period of consultation.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41In 2004, the campaigners achieved their first breakthrough -
0:27:41 > 0:27:46the council agreed that there were issues with the road that needed investigating.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50The subsequent safety review published in 2005
0:27:50 > 0:27:52included 30 recommendations,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and top of the list was a reduction in the speed limit.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Once things started happening, I seem to remember,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02it was a good few years ago now, but there were local consultations.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07It was quite impressive. They even brought roadshows to the village.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10They had people from the traffic department
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and the county coming and showing what they planned to do.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16So the whole process was well communicated
0:28:16 > 0:28:19to the community about exactly what was going to happen.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22In 2006, the council completed
0:28:22 > 0:28:25the improvement work on the stretch
0:28:25 > 0:28:27at a cost of £125,000.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30We implemented some intelligent road studs
0:28:30 > 0:28:35to delineate what is a fairly twisty road, particularly at night,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37to delineate that road
0:28:37 > 0:28:41to drivers in combination with upgrading the road markings
0:28:41 > 0:28:45and also using road markings which stood above any standing water,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49So in wet conditions, drivers would be able to see the edge in the centre of the road.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53We did do some alterations to the road in terms of putting in a central island
0:28:53 > 0:28:55with a right turn lane,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59and that constrains the width of carriageway available to people
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and therefore tempers the speed to a degree.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05As a result of the work, there was a dramatic improvement
0:29:05 > 0:29:08in the safety of the A4128.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11In the three years after the work was carried out,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15there was an 89% drop in fatal or serious accidents
0:29:15 > 0:29:17on the road and no deaths.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20It may not have brought back loved ones, but for those who had
0:29:20 > 0:29:23experienced the impact of this killer road,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26it was a welcome result.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28If it takes basic improvements to save lives,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30then yes, I'm happy.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34It's just sad that accidents have to happen
0:29:34 > 0:29:38and deaths have to occur before action is taken.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42It's a relief that we've got things changed and we're not going to have
0:29:42 > 0:29:45the kind of accidents that we've had in the past, where the people
0:29:45 > 0:29:47that live locally had to pick up the pieces.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51And also, it's damaging to so many families.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55So we're just happy and pleased that we've got to a point now where
0:29:55 > 0:29:58we have a safer road.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05'A key part of designing safer roads
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'is making sure drivers are aware of what's coming up.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12'But sometimes for motorists, keeping our focus on the road ahead
0:30:12 > 0:30:14'is easier said than done.'
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Behind a wheel, there are distractions everywhere.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22Have you ever wondered how much difference it makes having adverts on the side of the road?
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Well, I've come to the Transport Research Laboratory to find out
0:30:26 > 0:30:29just what impact they have on my driving.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- Hello, Nick, how's it going? - Hi, Joe.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35OK. Today's test is distraction by advertising.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38You'll be driving through a route for about 15 minutes,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40I'll monitor you from the control room
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and measuring how distracted you are by advertising.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46How are you actually going to tell how distracted I am?
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I see there's cameras on the dashboard. What do they do?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Those cameras are part of the eye tracking system. They'll monitor
0:30:52 > 0:30:55how long and how often you take your eyes off the road.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I'll be using the output to monitor your distraction.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01OK. Sounds like a challenge, so let's get started.
0:31:01 > 0:31:02Thanks, Nick.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- OK. That's good to go, Joe. - OK, thank you.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13So this route is designed to look like the suburbs of a city
0:31:13 > 0:31:16and through the route, there are adverts
0:31:16 > 0:31:18placed at different locations.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We're looking to see whether those adverts
0:31:21 > 0:31:25distract the driver from driving the vehicle.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Some adverts are static, some are video adverts.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Joe knows that the purpose of this test
0:31:30 > 0:31:32is to look at distraction by advertising,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35but participants that come along to take part in these tests
0:31:35 > 0:31:37aren't aware of the purpose of the drives.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41They're just told to drive as they would normally.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43We then look to see how distracted they were
0:31:43 > 0:31:48by the advertising that they saw along the route as they drove it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Road signs.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56No big billboards as yet that really caught my eye, I don't think.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59The monitors we're looking at show the virtual environment
0:31:59 > 0:32:00that the driver sees.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04This monitor in the top left shows the eye tracking PC
0:32:04 > 0:32:08which is monitoring where the driver is looking.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Oh, yeah.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13some quite well-known brands on the high street.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15'In a study of driver's eye movements,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19'it was found that 88% of drivers were distracted by adverts,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23'with 20% glancing away from the road for more than two seconds.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28'There's growing concern that roadside advertising
0:32:28 > 0:32:30'presents a real risk to road safety.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'Some estimates suggest external distractives are responsible
0:32:33 > 0:32:36'for up to 10% of all accidents.'
0:32:37 > 0:32:38Phew!
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Luckily, that worked OK, but the car in front of me
0:32:43 > 0:32:46just did an emergency stop.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Now that bus is doing something very odd and bumping along.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51What's going on there?
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Quite a lot for the eye to take in actually.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57We've got the first video advert appearing
0:32:57 > 0:32:58on the right now.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03See if Joe's distracted by that.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04I think he's noticed it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06He wasn't watching the traffic lights
0:33:06 > 0:33:11because of the video advert that was off to the right
0:33:11 > 0:33:13as we came to that junction.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Another advert there.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Across the road.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21That brand up on a billboard...
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Caught his eye, he slowed down a touch.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28Definitely caught my eye. Not sure what that says about me.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31'Roadside adverts in the UK are controlled by local authorities
0:33:31 > 0:33:35'and permission is granted based on factors such as the type of road
0:33:35 > 0:33:40'and location, hence motorways not being plastered in advertising.'
0:33:40 > 0:33:43In the studies that we've done, the static advertising
0:33:43 > 0:33:46tended to take drivers' eyes away from the road
0:33:46 > 0:33:47for about one second at a time.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50For the video advertising,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53the distraction was greater and that was more like two seconds
0:33:53 > 0:33:56that they would take their eyes off the road to watch the videos.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01Ah, now I haven't seen this before. This is a video advert coming up.
0:34:01 > 0:34:02Something on BBC2.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06How would that be interesting?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Definitely caught the eye though.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Three big billboards across the road
0:34:12 > 0:34:14with moving images.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Good. So Joe noticed the pedestrian,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23wasn't distracted by the advert that was on the bridge there.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25That was very lucky.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28A pedestrian walking out in front of me
0:34:28 > 0:34:30when there was a video advert
0:34:30 > 0:34:34with an attractive young model on it.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Most distracting!
0:34:38 > 0:34:42That's a weird feeling. I mounted the kerb and it's worked.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46So yeah, that was a really intense experience actually.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51That's the most intense it's been in a simulator for me.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55There were adverts everywhere and I could feel myself looking at them.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57I don't know how distracted I was,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Nick will have the answer to that,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03but I certainly took my attention off the road while they were there
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and some, particularly the moving ones,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08did draw my attention much more than others.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12I don't know if I was dangerous in the amount I was looking at them,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14but they certainly did distract me a bit.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18As Joe was completing the route today, he was definitely distracted
0:35:18 > 0:35:20by the adverts. Particularly the video adverts,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24where he was taking his eyes off the road for seconds at a time.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28And that was typical of the research findings we produced in this study.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33'Research shows that roadside advertising distracts drivers.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'However it is still unclear how much of a risk this poses
0:35:36 > 0:35:39'and it seems likely that, for the moment,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41'there won't be any tightening of the regulations.'
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Back in Scotland, local campaigners
0:35:48 > 0:35:50are still trying to get the junction
0:35:50 > 0:35:53where the A937 meets the A90 changed.
0:35:53 > 0:35:5710 accidents resulting in injury, six serious injuries
0:35:57 > 0:35:58and four deaths in five years
0:35:58 > 0:36:02have left local residents constantly wary of using it.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Everybody has a story about the junction.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10We've all had close misses, bumps, accidents,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14known someone who's died there, or been hurt there.
0:36:14 > 0:36:1820-year-old Jamie Graham was killed in 2004
0:36:18 > 0:36:21while attempting to cross the junction in his car.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23His vision had been obscured by a lorry
0:36:23 > 0:36:26and, as he pulled out of the junction, he was struck
0:36:26 > 0:36:29by another vehicle travelling in the overtaking lane.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31He was killed instantly.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I would give every penny I had
0:36:34 > 0:36:36to have Jamie back here.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41To have a junction put in place there as well, you know.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45I think there'd be a lot of people round about here as well
0:36:45 > 0:36:48with the same view, that they would put towards it.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Jim firmly believes the junction was to blame
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and that a flyover must be put in place to make it safer.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Back in 2005, the campaigners felt confident
0:36:59 > 0:37:00the junction would be changed.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Following a petition, Transport Scotland lowered the speed limit
0:37:04 > 0:37:08around the junction from 70 to 50 mph and installed speed cameras.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Campaigners claim they were told this was a temporary measure
0:37:11 > 0:37:14while a more permanent solution was looked into.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18But six years later, those measures are still in place.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22I still believe that it is fundamentally dangerous.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26The only way that road would be safe would be for a graded junction
0:37:26 > 0:37:29or them doing something fundamentally different
0:37:29 > 0:37:32to what they have done so far.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Even reducing the speed limit and putting cameras in
0:37:35 > 0:37:39doesn't make it any safer, purely and simply because cars,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43when they approach the cameras, they slow down.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45After they've passed, they speed up again.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49So by the time they reach the junction itself,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51they're just about 70 mph anyway.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Worryingly, the dangers posed by this junction
0:37:54 > 0:37:56are likely to get worse.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00The dual carriageway now serves 3,000 more vehicles every day
0:38:00 > 0:38:02than it did 10 years ago,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and the nearby port of Montrose is a growing industrial centre
0:38:05 > 0:38:08with a raft of new housing developments.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12However, any decision about a new junction will be influenced by cost.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17In 2010, the Scottish Transport Minister said major work
0:38:17 > 0:38:18would cost £11 million.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22But yet the Scottish Government paid just £4 million
0:38:22 > 0:38:25eight years previously to build a flyover
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and an underpass across the A90 at Forfar.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33And John Dawson argues there's an even cheaper solution.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36The junction on the A90 needs to be made split level
0:38:36 > 0:38:38as soon as is practical.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41What that junction needs
0:38:41 > 0:38:45is one of the smaller split-level junction layouts
0:38:45 > 0:38:50and other countries - particularly I think of Sweden - have come up with
0:38:50 > 0:38:52some very economic schemes
0:38:52 > 0:38:57to get smaller volumes of traffic over busy main roads.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01You can be talking in the region of about £0.5 to £1.5 million
0:39:01 > 0:39:03to do the most simple scheme.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07In Britain, we tend to spend rather more than other countries
0:39:07 > 0:39:11and we over-engineer perhaps more than others do.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14These things get tied up in bureaucracy,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18but at the heart of it, it always seems to come back to money and budgets.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20How does that make you feel?
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Angry, when it comes down to money.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Because what price do you put on a human life?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30And when you're coming down to money,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34we've been told the cost of a fatality on the A90
0:39:34 > 0:39:36amounts into millions anyway.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40So it's a horrible thing
0:39:40 > 0:39:42to judge the costings.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45It would be more cost-effective
0:39:45 > 0:39:48to build a flyover to save a human life.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51But I just think it's horrible that it always comes down to money,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55because there's no amount of money can bring back Jamie.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58There's no amount of money can bring back anybody who's died there.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01But there might just be some hope.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Following a second petition from Jill,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07this time with over 8,000 signatures,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11the Scottish Government has formally agreed to investigate further.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13In January the Petitions Committee were told
0:40:13 > 0:40:16to do a costing exercise on the junction
0:40:16 > 0:40:18as to how much it would cost
0:40:18 > 0:40:21for that junction to be upgraded.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25That was in January. This is July now and nothing's been done.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Absolutely nothing at all. You know, it's unacceptable.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32It will take a minimum three years to build.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Each day away from an announcement is another three years of waiting.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37How are you feeling now?
0:40:37 > 0:40:41It's been a long time and you've been at the front of this campaign,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44and ultimately you haven't got what you wanted.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Are you about to throw in the towel?
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I just want to see a flyover built.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Just want to be able to know that we can all cross there safely.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I've got two children that are driving now,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58another one growing up and before he hits driving age,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01I'd really, really like to see it built.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04It's hard to imagine, casting your mind back,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07if your family hadn't been altered in such a permanent way
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- as it was that day. - Yes, we changed that day.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Fundamentally, our lives totally changed.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18My view on things changed.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Seeing a picture of Jamie brings it all back.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It all floods back to you.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28What happened that day, it goes over and over and over.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30You go through all the what-ifs.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33What if he was five minutes later?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35What if he used another junction?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37You know, would he still be here,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40or would he have been killed at that other junction?
0:41:40 > 0:41:44And I always come to the same answer - that junction.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46It was that junction that caused it.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Transport Scotland declined our repeated
0:41:52 > 0:41:56requests for an interview, but they did supply us with this statement.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Having been here and spent quite a bit of time
0:42:27 > 0:42:30watching what goes on at this junction,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33I really can appreciate the frustrations of the campaigners.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37They're still no closer to that elusive flyover.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42OK, so there haven't been any fatalities in recent years.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46But be in no doubt, this is still a very dangerous junction
0:42:46 > 0:42:49and we shouldn't be in the position that death alone
0:42:49 > 0:42:52dictates our approach to road safety.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Transport Scotland published the findings
0:42:57 > 0:43:00of their cost review in late September 2011.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05The report outlined five options and estimated that upgrades
0:43:05 > 0:43:08would cost between £13.5 and £28 million.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12The next stage is for the report to be considered by the authorities
0:43:12 > 0:43:14and other interested parties.
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