0:00:02 > 0:00:05Last year, almost 1,900 people were killed on Britain's roads.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07It was just like the end of your world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11And it's not always the motorist that's to blame.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15She would have been alive if there had been barriers there.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Today we expose these killer roads and ask if enough's being done to prevent more needless deaths.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24To stop any other mam or dad walk into a hospital
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and having to identify their son.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Welcome to Kent, often known as the Garden Of England.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37A beautiful county, but also one of the country's busiest.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Sandwiched between London and the south coast ports,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43the little Kent country roads are getting busier and busier.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Like this one, the A262. Now, it should be a nice quiet route
0:00:47 > 0:00:50going through the picturesque village of Goudhurst.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54But with the amount of traffic this route now gets,
0:00:54 > 0:00:55it's become a problem A-road.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Set in the southeast of England,
0:00:58 > 0:01:03the A262 runs for 14 miles through the beautiful Kent countryside,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06taking in a number of villages along the way.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08There's a section of it, though,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10that's been highlighted in a recent report
0:01:10 > 0:01:13as higher risk than comparable UK roads.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17It's a seven-mile stretch, running from the junction with the A21,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to the junction with the A229.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It's used by an average of 8,000 vehicles each day,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and between 2004 and 2009
0:01:26 > 0:01:31there were 25 people killed or seriously injured on this road.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Kent County Council didn't respond to our request for a breakdown of these figures.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41In October 2007, Katie Mitchell was killed in a motorbike collision
0:01:41 > 0:01:44at a notorious junction near Goudhurst.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Katie, a police constable, was on her way to work.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49As she neared the Chequers Inn junction,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53she lost control of her bike and was thrown into the oncoming traffic.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Her parents Jackie and Peter lost their only child that day.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Jackie, thank you for agreeing to meet me.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I know this isn't an easy thing to talk through at all.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Going back to that October, what do you remember from that morning?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11When did you first hear some news filtering through?
0:02:11 > 0:02:16I was sitting on a coach going to the Paddock Wood Hop Farm
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and I had a phone call from Kent Police,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23and straightaway I seemed to know that something was wrong,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26cos he said that he'd been to our home here in Ashford
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and there was no-one in.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31He'd been trying to locate me all the morning.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33He said, "Well, when you get to your destination
0:02:33 > 0:02:36"could you stay in the coach? We need to come and find you."
0:02:36 > 0:02:40What did they tell you had happened that morning?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43He just said that there'd been a fatality that morning
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and it was on the Goudhurst Road junction,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and, unfortunately, Katie had died.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54It just, sort of... It hadn't really registered,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59but you knew that it was just like the end of your world, really.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04That morning, she was riding a motorcycle,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- she was coming into Goudhurst, wasn't she?- Yes.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10What do you understand happened at that point?
0:03:10 > 0:03:16She was riding along, approaching the Chequers public house junction.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19All of a sudden, she realised the traffic was closing.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22We've been told she braked very hard,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24which meant she lost control of her bike
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and the bike threw her and she fell under the oncoming traffic.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32They would have seen her in the road at the last minute,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and too late to do anything about it.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40But if she hadn't fell under the car, she would have survived the crash
0:03:40 > 0:03:43because she wasn't going that fast to have hurt herself.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Do you believe, from what you've been through, that some roads are more dangerous than others?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Do you think this is a dangerous junction?- Oh, I do.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It's a very dangerous junction.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I think on this particular road, a lot does happen.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Something's got to be done to widen the road,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00just to make it more visible
0:04:00 > 0:04:03for oncoming traffic turning out of the junction.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07This journey would have formed part of her every-day commute.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- She knew the road.- Every day, different times of the year.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14She knew the road well and she was an experienced driver.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18She wasn't speeding, or doing anything other than she would normally do,
0:04:18 > 0:04:19probably every other day.
0:04:19 > 0:04:25We lived and worked all our lives to make her life better for her.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29She was a very intelligent girl. She just loved life and everything.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Her job was in the police. She was enjoying her role
0:04:31 > 0:04:33as an intelligence officer, is that right?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Yes, in the Intelligence Unit in West Kent at Tonbridge.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40She did things for charity.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44I mean, she would abseil and things to raise money.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46She worked for the Wildlife Foundation,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48which we being patrons of now,
0:04:48 > 0:04:54we help them any time we can, and we do it, like today, in memory of her
0:04:54 > 0:04:58because we have no future with her, because of this road.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03Since Katie's death, the council has made some improvements to the junction.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07They've installed a high-friction road surface and improved road markings,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10but visibility is still very restricted.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I want to find out more about the Chequers Inn junction
0:05:13 > 0:05:16to try and understand how Katie's accident could have happened,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18so I'm meeting PC Tim Moody
0:05:18 > 0:05:21to hear why he thinks there are so many RTCs,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24or Road Traffic Collisions, at this spot.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Is this a renowned junction?
0:05:26 > 0:05:28This does seem to stand out as a problem place.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Yes, as a local officer, if I hear of an RTC on the A226,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35my immediate thought is it's going to be this junction.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38If it's a serious accident, then it's going to be on this junction.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40What is it with this junction?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Why does it cause so many problems?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46There are several issues with it, really. One is its location.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52We've got a long straight piece of road, 30mph signs.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55National speed limit beginning just up the road.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Long, straight road through the village,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and then you've got a junction in the middle,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01with extremely restrictive visibility.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04People coming out of the village, what sort of speeds are they doing?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- What zone are we in here? - It's a 30mph limit here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The national speed limit starts probably about another 150 yards down the road.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14We regularly do speed checks along here
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and we've had about 45mph along here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19How serious are the accidents that can and have happened here?
0:06:19 > 0:06:23We have had fatalities. We've had a number of fatalities here.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28So actually there is a strong argument here for more being done, isn't there?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Yes. As I say, anything that could even save one life,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33saves one family being destroyed.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Anything that can be done is going to be worth doing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41The Chequers Inn junction on the east side of Goudhurst is notorious amongst locals,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45but the road to the west of the village is just as infamous.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49There are a series of tight corners in a 40mph zone known as The Bends,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53which have seen countless accidents over the years.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Residents believe it's only matter of time before one of these crashes results in a death.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02I want to get a better understanding of all the problems on this stretch,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05so I've decided to see the road for myself.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Here we are. I'm on the A262.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12I'm heading west and ahead of me is the village of Goudhurst.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13This is a real problem spot.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16There's been quite a few bad accidents on this road,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19with people trying to come out and turn right onto this road.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23That pub right there seems to block the sightlines.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26And now, here's the other problem spot.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29A lovely old church to the left and churchyard
0:07:29 > 0:07:30and the road just snakes around it
0:07:30 > 0:07:34and you get this kind of, almost a right angle.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37You get big trucks like that one just there, coming round here
0:07:37 > 0:07:41causing real back-ups and there are cars absolutely everywhere.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It's OK where its wide enough, but some bits get a bit narrow,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48like here, to have all these cars sticking out.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Lots of concealed entrances along the edge of the road
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and the plants are flourishing, so you can't see them to your right,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57so you have to take it really carefully
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and keep an eye out for anyone pulling out of their drive.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03This is The Bends as you come out. We've come down the hill.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07These are all on a gradient and its asking me to reduce speed,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10quite rightly, and this is quite a steep bend.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14You have to be actually going reasonably slowly,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16certainly no faster than 40.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Probably quite a bit slower because this is a bit
0:08:18 > 0:08:22where quite a few people have come off the road, they've gone into hedges,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27into a garage there, so there's clearly a bit of a problem with the road there
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and people being able to stay in control of their vehicles.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33You come out and you hit the national speed limit.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It's still quite winding, this is very narrow.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The road surface is a bit patchy here. A few potholes.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Still some large trucks but this is back on an open route,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46We've left the village behind us.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Having driven the whole route,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I now want to find out more about The Bends
0:08:50 > 0:08:52on the west side of Goudhurst.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So I'm visiting Robert Sergeant, who runs a local business.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00He's been concerned about the safety of this stretch for a number of years.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Hello, Rob, I'm Joe, how are you? - Hello there, nice to meet you.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Good to see you. I love these cars. Is this your garage?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Yes, it's a family business. - Talk to me about this road.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13- What have you noticed? This is The Bends... - Yes, this sequence of bends
0:09:13 > 0:09:17past the garage here has been a problem for a number of years.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Both ways, it's traffic coming into the village
0:09:20 > 0:09:22as well as coming out of the village so, yes,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27you've got a nice straight, a bit of speed that way, but you also come down the hill from this way,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30so either way it tends to catch people out, really.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And what's happening?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Are they actually coming off the road in some cases?- Yes, oh, yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Quite severely sometimes.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39There's walls hit and fences taken out,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43signs and right through into the pub car park
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and all the way down the road. It's either one side or the other.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Has any come up on this forecourt? - Oh, yes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Our main pole sign was taken out a couple of years ago and had to be totally replaced.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58The sign on the end there seems to be taking the punishment at the moment.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00We've had two recently take out the sign
0:10:00 > 0:10:05and one actually ended up upside down in the middle of the driveway there.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10- I know you've been keeping a log, or you did.- Yes, we kept a log for the year of '08.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13We actually had 13 accidents in the year.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18After badgering the council, they went back to the official records
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and found there wasn't that many accidents.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22So really, they weren't being recorded,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25so we kept a log of the accidents, the directions
0:10:25 > 0:10:29of the vehicles coming and going and we also took photographs
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- of as many of the accidents as possible.- You've actually got a map.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- You've got them pinpointed on here. - Yes, on The Bends right here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41There's a scattering, but it does seem to cluster around the bends, doesn't it?
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Yes, yes. Definitely.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And how serious are some of these?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47There's a few where we felt the vehicle had been written off.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50You've got "write off, write off, write off",
0:10:50 > 0:10:51- That's a write-off as well?- Both.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The Land Rover was upside down and the roof was cut off the other car.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57We guessed they're probably written off.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59That's pretty significant.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00We feel, as a community,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03we're worried until somebody, one of us is hurt even,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04nothing will be done.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'Robert has even taken matters into his own hands,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12'replanting numerous reflective posts he's found beside the road.'
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Doesn't it frustrate you that, not only are the road markings really poor,
0:11:15 > 0:11:20- but you're the one having to plant in some of the reflectors? - The plastic bollards.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Yes, it is frustrating but if we don't do it, I fear we'll have more accidents
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and we don't want that either.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29We've had an interactive sign put in, which doesn't make a lot of difference.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It would be nice to get some improvement on the surface
0:11:32 > 0:11:34but it's always down to funding.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39'I'm keen to hear what an industry expert has to say about the A262,
0:11:39 > 0:11:40'so I've invited a road engineer
0:11:40 > 0:11:45'with 35 years' professional experience to take a look.'
0:11:45 > 0:11:48My first reaction is the lanes are fairly narrow
0:11:48 > 0:11:53and we've got these aggressive objects quite close to the road edge,
0:11:53 > 0:11:58trees and hedges. The road quality is surprisingly poor.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Now we're coming into a 30mph speed limit.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04A very sharp change from 60 to 30 with not much of a warning.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07What is that junction on the right?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09That looks really quite aggressive.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Well here we have clear road markers to mark this bend ahead.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Clearly something's happened here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20And we've got a lot going on. Pubs and garages and sharp
0:12:20 > 0:12:22to moderately sharp bends.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26This is obviously a bit of a zone on the road.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30There's a safety fence. That's the first one of those we've seen.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Immediately into another bend with the road condition deteriorating,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38the roadside environment deteriorating very rapidly.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The road condition is really dreadful.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46It's difficult to see why we can't have wider road at this point at all.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Oh, dear.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Look at the way the road patching has been just left like this.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54If you were a motorcyclist, this would be truly dreadful.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Come off the road at this speed and hit one of those trees, you'll be dead.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04This is not a road that you should really expect to be safe at 60mph.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It is too narrow, there are aggressive objects left and right
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and a lot of the junctions have not been laid out
0:13:11 > 0:13:15for the speed of the road. This road really is not right.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20The A262 did not show the signs of a road
0:13:20 > 0:13:26which was being well looked after in the light of a known high casualty rate.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31And it's really not what we should expect in 21st-century Britain.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34'So John Dawson's concerns are...
0:13:38 > 0:13:40'We'll return to the A262 later
0:13:40 > 0:13:45'and hear what a road-markings expert has to say about the road.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I drive many, many miles a year
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and I think this is probably one of the worst roads I have seen.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00There are many problems here still waiting to be addressed.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Dangerous bends, poor sight lines, faded road markings.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07But it doesn't always have to be that way.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10There are many problem roads across the UK
0:14:10 > 0:14:13that have been turned around with dramatic results,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17like the A45, just south of Dunchurch.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28The A45 runs for 80 miles through the heart of the Midlands,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30from Birmingham into Northamptonshire.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The majority of the road is single carriageway
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and there's a section that was a source of public outrage for over a decade.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Just south of Dunchurch is a three-mile section of the A45
0:14:42 > 0:14:47that became the focal point for local efforts to get the road improved.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48On this one short stretch,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51there were 27 accidents resulting in injury,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56including 11 serious injuries and seven deaths in just five years.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00In January 2003, Mark Teagles was on his way to work
0:15:00 > 0:15:04when he was involved in a serious accident on this stretch of the A45.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07We heard on the radio there'd been an accident
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and assumed given the time that it happened
0:15:10 > 0:15:13that Mark should've been long gone and at work and didn't think any more of it,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15just carried on as normal
0:15:15 > 0:15:18until we'd the phone call from his mum to say, actually,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22it had been Mark involved in the accident and he was in hospital.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Mark had been travelling south from Dunchurch on his motorbike
0:15:26 > 0:15:28when he struck an oncoming vehicle.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30He was thrown from his bike.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34The initial prognosis was he'd suffered two broken legs.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36We then received another phone call to say
0:15:36 > 0:15:40things were more serious than they thought they were at first
0:15:40 > 0:15:42and that he would be going into theatre
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and we should really get over.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48When we arrived, he had died in theatre from internal injuries.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51He was just a normal lad on his way to work.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55He wasn't going out to push the bike to silly speeds.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58That wasn't the plan. He was just on his way to work.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02We'd been married for about 15 months when it happened.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07He was 23, it happened just before his 24th birthday. Um...
0:16:07 > 0:16:11And when it happened, Shannon was a tiny baby, only 12 weeks old.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14There wasn't really any time to grieve properly.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19I had to be there for Shannon. I'd got a baby to deal with on top of everything else,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21so to me, I just carried on.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24There's nothing you can do to make it better. Nothing's going to bring him back.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27You just have to keep going, keep plodding through it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31That was pretty much how we spent the first few weeks and months,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34all of us. As far as it went we were a happy little family unit before it all...
0:16:34 > 0:16:35went wrong.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39At first, Emma put Mark's death down to a tragic mistake.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42But when there was another death at exactly the same point
0:16:42 > 0:16:47just eight months later, she started to look more closely at the road.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I didn't realise at the time
0:16:49 > 0:16:52when it happened, quite how serious a problem there was down there.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Afterwards, we noticed there was more flowers being laid,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00more incidents happening and it started to click into my head
0:17:00 > 0:17:05that perhaps it wasn't just driver error on that particular day. Perhaps there was more to it.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08As you start to dig deeper, we noticed there had been
0:17:08 > 0:17:11a number of collisions over a number of years.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I think the problems with the road is people seeing it
0:17:14 > 0:17:17as being a road you can drive down particularly fast.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19The corner where it happened,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23the visibility down there can be quite poor due to the hedges.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25At the time of the accident, they're not sure
0:17:25 > 0:17:29whether drainage could be an issue as well.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Emma believed there was an issue with drivers
0:17:31 > 0:17:35losing control on the road and that the key factors were...
0:17:38 > 0:17:41She began to push for something to be done.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44These calls initially proved unsuccessful.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48But another death on the road in 2005,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50followed by three more in 2006
0:17:50 > 0:17:56brought this stretch of the A45 right to the forefront of people's attention.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00A meeting to discuss the safety concerns regarding the road
0:18:00 > 0:18:05was held within weeks of the latest deaths in September 2006.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The meeting was chaired by Gordon Collett, a county councillor
0:18:08 > 0:18:12who'd lobbied for improvements along the road for years.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16The number of people that were concerned about this problem
0:18:16 > 0:18:22far exceeded the number of people living in the village,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24because it's not a big village.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Senior members of the offices of the Highway Authority
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and the county council at that meeting turned up.
0:18:31 > 0:18:37I think they were overwhelmed by the public response to the call for the meeting.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Emma was there and others were there from villages over the border in Northamptonshire.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47She spoke at that meeting at some length.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52You couldn't help but be moved by her personal circumstance.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55There was a representative from Warwickshire County Council,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00who was obviously putting their side across and the fact of how much money it was going to cost.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04The council stated there had not been enough incidents
0:19:04 > 0:19:09to automatically prompt action that could cost as much as £60,000.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It just felt as if they didn't care, if I'm honest.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16That they didn't care that more people could die there
0:19:16 > 0:19:18for the sake of what is a slice of a budget.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24It wasn't the greatest of evenings, but it made me push on further,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26made me really want to make a difference.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30I suppose I made a nuisance of myself, and I'm sure by the end of it
0:19:30 > 0:19:33they were glad it was over but I felt you have to push it,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37you have to keep on at them... You don't want a letter just stuffed in a drawer.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I spent a lot of time with local press.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I figured if I could get the information out there, make people
0:19:43 > 0:19:47more aware of what was happening on the road and what was happening
0:19:47 > 0:19:50from the council's point of view, I could get more support that way.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53I arranged a petition to be put around in
0:19:53 > 0:19:57the local businesses between Daventry and Dunchurch,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59which is the stretch it happened on.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Basically, it was just a case of printing them off and actually going to people
0:20:03 > 0:20:07and I think it was a key thing in making the changes.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11It showed that there was a lot of local feeling about what was happening.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13It wasn't just a case of me as a grieving person
0:20:13 > 0:20:16trying to do something, a lot of people felt that way.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Emma worked a miracle with the petition.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22I forget now how many names she got on it, but it was massive,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25from a sparsely populated area, really.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30We basically had a day out. We took it to the Shire Hall
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and handed it in and just hoped to hear for the best, really.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38I think that happened around early November time.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40The petition had the desired effect.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Within a matter of weeks,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Emma received a reply from the council with encouraging news.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51We received a letter saying that, actually, they were looking into
0:20:51 > 0:20:53the things we'd suggested
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and it was just a case of working out how feasible things were to do
0:20:56 > 0:21:01so I felt that was a real positive start to the whole thing.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05It was a real comprehensive review of that particular stretch of road
0:21:05 > 0:21:07and drawing on the resources of other groups
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and trying to make a five-star route.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It was the number of fatals,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14severities and serious accidents we'd get along that stretch of road.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Certainly the community played a large part
0:21:17 > 0:21:19in trying to get something done about it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The review highlighted a number of factors that caused accidents
0:21:22 > 0:21:26on this stretch, and put forward three options for consideration,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29all of which involved lowering the speed limit.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35Finally, in July 2008, nearly two years after she'd first received the letter from the council,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Emma's tireless campaigning in the memory of her husband
0:21:38 > 0:21:42brought about a major undertaking from the county council.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45They agreed to carry out extensive work
0:21:45 > 0:21:48centred on speed reduction on the A45,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50a huge victory for the campaign.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57It was a 60mph road. We duly set about looking at doing a 50mph road.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Moreover, it's trying to prevent the instances of overtaking
0:22:00 > 0:22:02which was a factor in the number of accidents.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05We set about putting in engineering measures,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08namely the hatch markings, to try and deter overtaking.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11But moreover, to put up what we would refer to as route aware signs,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16where drivers are drip fed information about the route and why the limit is lower.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21This looks at casualties and the number of accidents, particularly fatal and serious accidents.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25We also did a publicity campaign centred on the route aware programme
0:22:25 > 0:22:27that we operate through the county council.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Education plays a very key part in terms of tackling road safety.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And education is just as important as doing engineering works
0:22:34 > 0:22:38in trying to get the message across about the route, the problems,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42what you can do about it to prevent yourselves and your occupants getting injured.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The A45 these days is a pleasure to drive down.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The volume of traffic is the same.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51But by and large, 50's stuck to
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and I think the evidence is there to prove it.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57I don't think there's been a fatality there since this has happened.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59There's been one or two shunts but nothing serious.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02The results for the A45 are extremely encouraging.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06In the last two years, we've had nobody killed or seriously injured
0:23:06 > 0:23:11and accidents have fallen in excess of 45%, with about 60% reduction in casualties
0:23:11 > 0:23:16so we're extremely encouraged that the works are having a benefit to the safety of that road.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20The county council also acknowledged the vital role that Emma played
0:23:20 > 0:23:26in highlighting the issue and prompting them to take action.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Emma's actions, her commitment, certainly played a large part
0:23:29 > 0:23:33in getting elected members interested in the problem, first of all.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Not only that, getting public money put into the scheme.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42I think without Emma's input, perhaps the scheme would have been somewhat delayed
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and who knows what would have happened in the meantime.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48It wasn't a particularly fast process and it took some time
0:23:48 > 0:23:53after Mark had died to realise that this was what I wanted to do,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55but I think, actually, it's a good feeling.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Even though it's not going to bring Mark back, it's not going to take that away,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04to know it's not going to happen to anybody else...
0:24:04 > 0:24:08That's a good feeling, to know that I made a difference.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12And the fact that I pushed it and I've hopefully helped other people.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14It does make you feel good.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20I found as many of the bits and pieces to do with what we were trying to achieve,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23the newspaper cuttings and the letters, and I wanted to keep them.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28I wanted to show Shannon, when she's older and grown-up enough to understand,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31that we did try to make things different.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It gives her something to be proud of.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Something good has come out of everything that she's lost.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45We just can't believe we've survived in ourselves as a couple
0:24:45 > 0:24:50and we're coming up to her fourth anniversary now and it doesn't get any easier.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Life is very hard. Although we do things and we go to places,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59we go to places where we used to go with Katie, that she enjoyed,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and it brings back memories.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04But we live for the memory of Katie.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Katie Mitchell was killed in a motorbike collision in 2007
0:25:09 > 0:25:14at the Chequers Inn junction on the A262 in Kent.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Just down the road, local residents live in fear of a stretch known as The Bends,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21as restaurant owner Lou explains.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26We've lost so many gateposts, cars turned upside down,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29smashed into the hedge... It's just unbelievable.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Why should we have two put up with all this? I don't know.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Every time we walk through our car park,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37you are conscious that somebody may come down the road
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and smash into you or approach you at high speed,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and you're thinking, what am I going to do then? I don't know.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49Between the two accident black spots of the Chequers Inn junction and the bends
0:25:49 > 0:25:51lies the village of Goudhurst.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54But pedestrians who want to walk into or around the village
0:25:54 > 0:25:56do so at great peril.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Paul Simmons knows the dangers all too well.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01He recalls how he was injured just outside his home
0:26:01 > 0:26:04while out walking with his wife.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08It was January, Heather and I were out for a country walk.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11We'd not lived here very long. Walking down the 262,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Heather was on the grass verge, I was inside the white line.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Next minute, clunk, I was hit by a car,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20knocked of the wing mirror clean off, car carried on.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I had to chase after the car for the car to stop.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I could feel that my arm was broken as it had started throbbing.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Phoned 999 and a police car came to the scene...
0:26:32 > 0:26:38..and an ambulance and they took me off to Kent and Sussex
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and it was nine weeks off work that I didn't really need.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46As a painter and decorator, it was my toolkit broken.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Paul escaped his collision with just a broken arm
0:26:48 > 0:26:54but local residents feel it's merely a matter of time before a pedestrian dies on this stretch.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00In 2009, there were 500 pedestrians killed on Britain's roads.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Well, this is the pedestrian route in and out of Goudhurst.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It's not exactly pleasant, but it's what local residents face
0:27:08 > 0:27:10if they want to walk into the village.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14And with vehicles making a habit of leaving the roads here,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It makes it quite a hazardous pursuit.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Personally, I would never walk down this road.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22It is horrendous -
0:27:22 > 0:27:25even sitting in a car in the lay-by
0:27:25 > 0:27:28with the traffic whizzing past is frightening.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32You would be mad to walk, actually. You have to drive everywhere.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34You are isolated.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Local residents are also concerned about the lack
0:27:37 > 0:27:39of road maintenance here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41The markings are faded, the hedges are overgrown,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and the road is in a poor state -
0:27:44 > 0:27:48all of which increase the risk for drivers and pedestrians alike.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Trying to pull out in a vehicle
0:27:50 > 0:27:52when you're this sort of height, sitting in a seat,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55you can actually see, now,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59how quickly a car will be on you as you pull out on a busy morning.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08You have to keep your wits about you.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I can't remember the last time there was any really good
0:28:12 > 0:28:15maintenance work done on this road.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20If you imagine trying to walk up or down this path
0:28:20 > 0:28:24at any time of the day or night, it's really, really dangerous.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26It's noisy and it's frightening.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30This stretch of road is just not suitable to be an A-road.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35We get big artic lorries trying to negotiate the bend in the village
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and the whole traffic just comes to a halt
0:28:38 > 0:28:40because nobody can get either way.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44If a lorry comes along, it has to... In order to negotiate that bend,
0:28:44 > 0:28:51they have to take both sides of the road in order to move on.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53But it's not right that it's an A-road.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Why should the oncoming traffic come to a halt
0:28:56 > 0:28:59so that a lorry can get past?
0:28:59 > 0:29:04We've heard from the people who live near to and use the A262
0:29:04 > 0:29:07and while they're not road experts, they can clearly see
0:29:07 > 0:29:10that the Chequers Inn junction and the bends are dangerous.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14In addition to this, they're also concerned by...
0:29:23 > 0:29:27The A262 clearly raises important safety concerns.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The whole stretch is twice as dangerous as an average British A-road.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'To try to find at what could be causing these accidents,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38'I've arranged to meet George Lee from the Road Safety Markings Association,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'the trade body that represents the interests
0:29:41 > 0:29:42'of road markings companies.'
0:29:42 > 0:29:48How important is it, then, to have good, clear "slow" signs and lines along the middle of the road?
0:29:48 > 0:29:52The markings are the most consistent message any driver gets,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54whether it's daylight, night-time,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58it's the road markings that show the driver where to be positioned on the road.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03Presumably, there's some sort of standard. Where would this come on that standard?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Well, that would be just an abject failure on that standard.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10George, just what difference do good road markings make to road safety?
0:30:10 > 0:30:14All the evidence points to they make an incredible difference.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Where you improve road markings, you start to see a decline in accidents.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Drivers get much more consistent information -
0:30:21 > 0:30:24they understand the dangers of the road. We're starting to see evidence
0:30:24 > 0:30:28that there's higher levels of serious injury and death on roads
0:30:28 > 0:30:30where the road markings have deteriorated.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34So what is the cost of redoing the lines on this road?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37If there's a serious injury or a death on this road,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40the Government equate that to £1.6 million
0:30:40 > 0:30:44cost to the British economy, whilst the cost to realign this entire stretch
0:30:44 > 0:30:48would be somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000. So...
0:30:48 > 0:30:51You do the sums. Where's the good economy?
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It would be remarking the road.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Clearly, the "slow" sign is not up to scratch.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Casting your eye down the road, anything else jump out?
0:30:59 > 0:31:03The alarming thing is there is very little that is up to scratch.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05The central lines have just totally evaporated,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08are long overdue replacement.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10The edge lines are probably inadequate
0:31:10 > 0:31:13in terms of the signal they're giving to drivers.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I'd be very keen see what you make of the rest of this stretch.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20- Yes, absolutely.- Shall we do it? - Let's go.- Good stuff.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22I drive many, many miles a year,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26and I think this is probably one of the worst roads I have seen,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30in terms of the quality of the road safety infrastructure,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34how it's been let just to slip away and deteriorate.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37- There's no street lighting.- Yeah.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41A bit here has been resurfaced. You actually have some road markings.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- Look at the difference there. - Yes, the contrast is immense.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Now, here there's nothing at all. Is that deliberate?
0:31:48 > 0:31:51I would think that probably is. It's a very narrow street
0:31:51 > 0:31:55and you can equally, in environments like this, maybe have no markings
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and that will have some traffic-calming effect.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02- Woah.- Here we see one of the other reasons why actually having
0:32:02 > 0:32:06highway infrastructure that works is absolutely critical.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11I'll try to sneak around but he's right in the middle of the road.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14There's a sign at the other end saying no heavy goods vehicles.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Well, that's the end we're coming from.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21I was up this other end earlier and I saw no indication of that sign.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24In fact, there's a sign encouraging tourists to use this route.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28- Here we can see again, no road markings at all.- Yeah.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31A total maintenance failure, which could lead to
0:32:31 > 0:32:33a catastrophic accident for somebody,
0:32:33 > 0:32:38especially with vehicles like that HGV in the road.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It's patchy and clearly road markings haven't been a priority -
0:32:41 > 0:32:44they're only good where they've had to lay down a new stretch of road.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48That's right. And that almost attaches a level of hypocrisy to it,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52because they obviously view the road markings as important enough
0:32:52 > 0:32:56to put in a quality level where they've have resurfaced,
0:32:56 > 0:32:57and left everything else.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02Everyone, it seems, has something to say about this stretch of road,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and the frustration of those who live here is apparent.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I'm returning to see Robert Sergeant,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10who's come up with a novel way to try to improve safety levels.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15- What an idea. Who thought of this? - Myself and my daughter.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- And she helped me make it. - So where do you put him?
0:33:17 > 0:33:22- He just rests on the side?- Just on the side of the fence, yes.- OK.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26He stands about there.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32And when you're standing there, does he have much of an impact?
0:33:32 > 0:33:36Oh, yes. The cars just come in sight of him down there
0:33:36 > 0:33:38and immediately slow down.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41And as soon as we put him away, people are asking to see him again.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42It's quite amazing.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47- Have you had any accidents while he's been out?- No, so it does work.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Obviously, anything like that, people get used to
0:33:50 > 0:33:52and they know what it is after a while,
0:33:52 > 0:33:54so it's not going to work forever.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56We've heard what local road users and industry experts
0:33:56 > 0:33:58have to say about this road
0:33:58 > 0:34:01and later we'll try to get an answer from Kent County Council
0:34:01 > 0:34:04on what they plan to do to improve safety here.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Now, we all know it's illegal to drive with one of these
0:34:11 > 0:34:14clasped to the side of your head, yet many of us struggle
0:34:14 > 0:34:18to go without using a mobile when we're behind the wheel.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21So just what difference can making or receiving a call
0:34:21 > 0:34:23make to your driving skills?
0:34:23 > 0:34:28Well, I've come to the Transport Research Laboratory to find out.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31In 2005, 13 people were killed and more than 300 were injured
0:34:31 > 0:34:36in crashes where drivers were using a hand-held mobile phone,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39but I want to find out how dangerous it is using a mobile phone
0:34:39 > 0:34:41hands-free while driving.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44So, in his first test, I'll be doing just that
0:34:44 > 0:34:46while at the same time trying to drive at a constant speed.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Please start the engine and proceed to drive.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54So, the eye-tracking system is taking three shots of the driver
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and that monitors where the driver is looking,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59based on reference points on the driver's face,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03so it picks up very precisely the direction of the driver's gaze.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06So, Joe's starting the car-following task now
0:35:06 > 0:35:12and Elaine is about to start the mobile phone conversation.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15OK, Joe. If I say Felix is darker than Antoine,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17who is the lighter of the two?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Felix... Antoine's the lighter of the two.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Notice that when Joe's talking on the phone,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26he's not checking his mirrors at all.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30He concentrates on the road ahead but doesn't have awareness of what's going on around him.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Over a third of UK motorists have admitted to being distracted
0:35:33 > 0:35:37by their mobile phone while driving.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40If a car drove 360 miles in six hours,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44how fast is the car going in miles per hour?
0:35:44 > 0:35:49360 miles...in six hours....
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Erm...
0:35:51 > 0:35:5360mph.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55So even though these are quite simple questions,
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Joe struggles to get the answers correct, and that's because it's difficult to do two things at once.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03'Recent studies have shown that you are four times more likely
0:36:03 > 0:36:05'to be killed or injured in a crash
0:36:05 > 0:36:10'when using a mobile phone, even if you're using hands-free.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:11He's not doing badly.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16His attention is clearly on the talking, rather than driving.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20He's lost track of his mirrors, of what's going on around him,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and he has been struggling with some quite simple questions,
0:36:23 > 0:36:27showing just how difficult it is to combine talking on the phone
0:36:27 > 0:36:28with driving.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33He's responded quite well to the other traffic that's been around him
0:36:33 > 0:36:35but his speed's been quite variable
0:36:35 > 0:36:37through this curve-following section,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40when he's trying to keep at a constant 50mph.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45That is the end of the drive. Please bring the vehicle to a halt.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Compared to other participants that have done this test,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Joe's behaviour is very similar - his reaction times were slower,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54he lost awareness of what was going on around the vehicle,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and his control of his own vehicle was poorer.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59That was really tough.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Really tough.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03A recent study found that having a mobile phone conversation
0:37:03 > 0:37:06can distract the driver from the road for an average
0:37:06 > 0:37:10of two and a half minutes AFTER finishing the conversation.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14We've watched Joe driving whilst using a mobile phone.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17We've now raised the challenge for him by asking him to do something
0:37:17 > 0:37:22illegal on the public roads - to send text messages while driving.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Incredibly, 47% of motorists believe that texting
0:37:25 > 0:37:28while driving DOESN'T affect their attention.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I'd now like you to send a practice text message.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36Please send Adam a text to say, "I am driving a great car simulator."
0:37:36 > 0:37:40That is, "I am driving a great car simulator."
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Right, I'll text Adam.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45So here we go. I'm doing 60 at the moment.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47See if I can keep it at that.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52He's taking his eyes off the road for three or four seconds at a time.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55A little bit of drifting out of lane.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57"A...
0:37:57 > 0:37:58"great...
0:37:58 > 0:38:00"car..."
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- Drifted off to the left. - "..cat." Damn you, predictive text.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08"..car...sim-u-lat-or."
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Motorists who use their mobile phone while driving
0:38:11 > 0:38:15take their eyes off the road for an average of two seconds at a time.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So if you were driving at 70mph,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20you'd travel 63m in that time.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24That's the length of six double-decker buses.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30- Wow.- And off to the hard shoulder, slightly.- The hard shoulder, there!
0:38:30 > 0:38:32That's sent, I think.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36"I am driving a great car simulator."
0:38:36 > 0:38:39We saw there the big effect that we see when we observe people
0:38:39 > 0:38:43driving and trying to text, and that is that they drift out of their lane
0:38:43 > 0:38:47and drift off into adjacent lanes, potentially causing an accident.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Joe did reasonably well.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50His speed decreased,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52he wasn't checking his mirrors either.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Um...yeah.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57A danger on the roads, to text and drive.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02That is the end of the drive. Please bring the vehicle to a halt.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05There we go.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08The questions were really hard and I could tell
0:39:08 > 0:39:12that I wasn't getting them right and was having to really think about them,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and no doubt my driving was suffering.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20And then the text messaging, I just had to take my eyes off the road all the time.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23That would've been a bit of a disaster if I'd been on a real road.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Whether it was Katie's error, that split second...
0:39:30 > 0:39:34it's recorded as accidental death,
0:39:34 > 0:39:38but we truly believe that if anything comes from losing Katie,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41that something ought to be done about the junction,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44and it is down to somebody to say, "Yes, we're going to do it."
0:39:44 > 0:39:46We've done all we can.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49We did feel we weren't getting very far with the council,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52as far as getting any road surface changed or anything.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56I understand it's a lot of money, but eventually, something has to be done.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Back on the A262, the problems facing motorists
0:39:59 > 0:40:02and pedestrians are still very real.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Residents are fed up. They've seen too many accidents at dangerous junctions,
0:40:06 > 0:40:13cars crashing into property, and they believe it's only a matter of time before a pedestrian is killed.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18They want to know what the council plans to do to make things better on this road.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22I hoped to speak to Kent County Council highways department inside this building
0:40:22 > 0:40:25but they declined our request for interview.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Instead, they gave us a quite long, wordy statement.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Allow me to paraphrase.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34They talk about Kent generally, how they've exceeded Government targets by reducing crashes.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38They've been educating motorist with their country roads campaign
0:40:38 > 0:40:42over the past two summers, and they have an annual review of crashes
0:40:42 > 0:40:44to look for patterns of incidence.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47They do admit there's still much work to still be done
0:40:47 > 0:40:49and that they will continue to work with partners
0:40:49 > 0:40:51to reduce these numbers further.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55However, we put several specific problems to them about the A262
0:40:55 > 0:40:58and the only time they address that road is right here,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00in this tiny bit of the statement.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04They talk about the junction where Katie Mitchell sadly lost her life,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08and how it's been resurfaced with high-friction and they've renewed the road markings.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10All true, but they don't look at the idea
0:41:10 > 0:41:13of fundamentally redesigning the junction.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Also, there's no mention here, anywhere, of all the problems
0:41:16 > 0:41:18outside Goudhurst - those dangerous bends,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21so I have no idea what they think about those.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23So all I can now do, really,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27is put this statement to the people of Goudhurst.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I don't believe that they're managing to cut down on accidents.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33You only have to look at the hedgerows and see the holes
0:41:33 > 0:41:35as you drive along.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39Since I spoke to you last, two accidents on The Bends up here.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42The interactive sign was actually glanced,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44which now looks up in the air bit,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47so just in the last couple of weeks, more accidents,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49so it's happening all the time.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52At the end of the day, the roads have got to be kept up
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and maintained, and made safe for people.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58It's terrible. It is sad, because it's not fair -
0:41:58 > 0:42:00it's not fair for the local residents here,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03it's not fair for us as a business
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and also, it's not fair for the sacrificial martyr,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09which eventually is going to come on. It will happen.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13The A262 used to be a quiet country road.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Sadly, those days are long gone, and to be honest,
0:42:16 > 0:42:20the road maintenance and engineering doesn't seem to have kept pace
0:42:20 > 0:42:21with the volume of traffic
0:42:21 > 0:42:24that now comes through the village of Goudhurst.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28At one end, you've got dangerous bends with frequent accidents
0:42:28 > 0:42:30and inadequate road markings.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33At the other end, a junction that's fundamentally flawed -
0:42:33 > 0:42:36an accident waiting to happen.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Clearly, much more needs to be done to protect people
0:42:40 > 0:42:43as they pass through this beautiful part of Kent.
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