0:00:00 > 0:00:05Last year, almost 1,900 people were killed on Britain's roads.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07It was like the end of your world.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And it's not always the motorist that's to blame.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14She'd be alive if there'd been barriers there.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Today, we expose these killer roads
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and ask if enough's being done to prevent needless deaths.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..to stop any other mum or dad
0:00:23 > 0:00:27walking into a hospital and having to identify their son.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Welcome to Lancashire and the Wyre Estuary in particular.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This delightful area used to be much quieter -
0:00:38 > 0:00:41until this bridge over here was built.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46For almost 20 years, this bridge has brought increased traffic to the north side of the river
0:00:46 > 0:00:51and turned the A588 into a notorious route for accidents.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Now, it looks like a lovely rural area,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57but this road does pass through several villages
0:00:57 > 0:01:01posing a persistent threat to those who live along it.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10Set in the north-west of England in the Lancashire countryside is the A588,
0:01:10 > 0:01:15a 19-mile road linking Blackpool in the south and Lancaster to the north.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20At around the half-way point of this road lies the village of Stalmine
0:01:20 > 0:01:22and a stretch of about two miles
0:01:22 > 0:01:26that has enough corners, built-up areas and speed limit changes
0:01:26 > 0:01:31to create a real blackspot area for motorists and pedestrians.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34You're three times more likely to suffer an accident here
0:01:34 > 0:01:37than on the average British A road.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43Between 2004 and 2010, this five-mile stretch saw 78 accidents resulting in injury,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46including 22 serious injuries
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and four deaths.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52One of those seriously injured here was Charlotte Rainford.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54In 2007, when she was just 14,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59she was hit by a car while crossing this 60-mile-an-hour road with her sister
0:01:59 > 0:02:01to catch the bus to school.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Charlotte was left in a coma for months.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06The car hit her
0:02:06 > 0:02:11and finished up about 30 to 40 metres up the road.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Technically dead, when her sister moved down to see what was wrong with her.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25She gave her CPR, brought her round, somebody called an ambulance.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26The air ambulance arrived.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32Charlotte was in a coma for three and a half months.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Three and a half months?
0:02:34 > 0:02:39She was in intensive care for another six weeks.
0:02:39 > 0:02:45And, thanks to wonderful surgeons, et cetera,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and all the physiotherapy et cetera that she's had,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50she's made a fantastic recovery
0:02:50 > 0:02:53but at the end of the day, she's still severely handicapped
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and always will be.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57The driver was not at fault,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00but Charlotte's life was devastated by the accident.
0:03:01 > 0:03:08In 2009, 3,446 pedestrians were hit on Britain's rural roads,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11resulting in 143 deaths.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16The local residents confirm that this road has a deadly reputation.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I've been here just over two years and I've seen about seven accidents.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- Really?- Only last month, there was within ten minutes,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27there was a car crashed into one here,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30going too fast, and some guy came off the bus
0:03:30 > 0:03:35and tried to get across the road and he got run down by a car.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Luckily, he was OK, but this is the kind of thing that happens all the time.
0:03:39 > 0:03:46Just traffic mayhem. No idea why they haven't decided to put something here.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Other local villages, there's at least one crossing. But here, no crossing.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55As you can see, we've had a pedestrian refuge put in.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59We thought, "Great. Next thing, we get the crossing."
0:03:59 > 0:04:03That was years ago. We're still waiting for the crossing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09Members of the local parish council feel that the village is dangerously split in two
0:04:09 > 0:04:10by the road.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14One of the major problems in village life has been this road
0:04:14 > 0:04:16which divides the community.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The people of Stalmine, some five years ago,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23saying in our parish plan, the top priority of our village
0:04:23 > 0:04:25was for a 30 mile an hour limit,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28which we were successful in getting.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The next priority was for a pedestrian crossing.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33And we still don't have one.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35It's not just within the village
0:04:35 > 0:04:38that the lack of pedestrian crossings are an issue,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41as Charlotte's grandfather Jim explains.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Half of these rural roads don't have a footpath.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46There isn't one that side of the road.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Or further down there.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54So you've got to constantly cross the roads to find a footpath.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58What it needs here, for children crossing the road, both ways, is a zebra crossing.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- Right.- That would make a hell of a difference.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Doug Smith lives a few hundred metres from the bus stop outside Stalmine
0:05:06 > 0:05:10on a stretch of the A588 where the speed limit is 60 miles per hour.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14He's witnessed first hand the dangers this road poses to motorists.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20This has been a major area of major accidents over the time I've been here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22I've been here 18 years.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Just between where we stand now, this entrance,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- and my other entrance there, we've had three fatalities.- Three?! - Three fatalities in that period.
0:05:31 > 0:05:38We've also had numerous fatalities up near the junction and the bus stops.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Crikey.- It's horrendous.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44For every one accident, there's many more that go unreported
0:05:44 > 0:05:48which are so close to being a fatality.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51We only had one a month ago, just right here.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It could so easily have been a head-on crash
0:05:55 > 0:05:56and it missed by inches.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01The residents see three clear problems with this part of the A588.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10The bus stops in the 60 mile an hour zone are dangerous.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17After hearing the residents' concerns, I've set out to experience this stretch for myself.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We're in the village of Hambleton, just north of the River Wyre.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27It's a nice little village. It's very calm. It's 30 miles an hour.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31You've got these red rumble strips for people to mark their speed.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Just ahead of me here is a speed camera.
0:06:34 > 0:06:41So this is checking that everyone is doing no more than 30 miles an hour.
0:06:41 > 0:06:47There's also a zebra crossing, right by a butcher's, a hair salon, all the local shops.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50That's the hub of the village back there.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Hambleton doesn't have too many road safety issues,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56but it's not so good as we leave and drive to Stalmine.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Here, instantly, we hit the national speed limit.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03That suddenly feels a bit fast, because the road is still quite narrow.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's quite windy. There's a big corner here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09There's houses and driveways coming out onto it.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14And yet it says it's 60 miles an hour, so that's not ideal.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17There's a little warning sign. I can't make it out.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22I now can make it out because it was behind a hedge but it's gone past.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It definitely said warning, so it's talking about a black spot.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29There's a big bus going past. Just around this corner,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32we've got two bus stops.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37There's no lay-bys for them to stop in. If they both come at the same time, they block the road.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40This is a 60mph stretch, just after a corner.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44So if you come round there and find a static bus and you're doing 60,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47that really is quite serious, actually.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53In fact, I'm only doing 40 miles an hour. Maybe 45 at times.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58So people would do this a lot faster, still within the speed limits,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I can't imagine it's that safe.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Here we are, we're now in Stalmine.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It goes straight down to 30 miles an hour.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11You've got the post office, a corner shop supermarket, pub.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14This is the hub of the village. The church is there.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But there's no crossing like we saw in Hambleton.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21You'd expect to be some way of pedestrians getting across the road.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25But nothing. Shortly after that, we come out of the village.
0:08:25 > 0:08:32National speed limit signs. Once again, back up to 60 miles an hour.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38So what a varied and tricky little road the A588 can be.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The stretch of road outside Doug's house has become so notorious,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44it's been featured on the local news.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52'This beautiful Lancashire stretch has seen some ugly scenes.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54'These are the remnants of the latest crash.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59'A car being driven by this man's girlfriend overturned here last night.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'Seven lives have been claimed on this road in 12 years.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06'The local community is campaigning to have the speed limit cut to 40.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10'As for people living here, until something is done to improve safety,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13'they're just left picking up the pieces.'
0:09:13 > 0:09:18We had a series of three crashes in four days at this particular spot.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The first one was a Land Rover Discovery.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27It was coming this way, lost it, hit the telegraph, broke it in half,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29and ended up in this dyke upside-down.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Very fortunately, the gentleman escaped unhurt.
0:09:34 > 0:09:41The next night, a lady came round late at night and went through the hedge where the wooden bit is.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Then we had a third night where luckily nothing happened.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50On that third day, the council had come and removed the telegraph pole.
0:09:50 > 0:09:56The fourth night, three girls in a Fiat Punto were coming from the same direction.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59They came round the corner, again lost it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06The tyre tracks went over where the telegraph pole would have been.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07They hit the fence here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12That made them catapult which made them him my neighbour's gatepost.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Then they did another somersault and ended up in the hedge
0:10:16 > 0:10:21roughly where the For Sale sign is, upside-down and that broke their fall.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22They were all right.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Their tyre tracks went right through where the telegraph pole had been.
0:10:26 > 0:10:32- A Fiat Punto is a small car. If you hit that pole...- It's not nice what could have happened.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37Fortunately, something bigger had taken it out and they were unhurt.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Thankfully, there haven't been any deaths outside Doug's house recently.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45But he's been so frustrated by the authority's lack of action,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48he's taken matters into his own hands.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51We were talking about where the telegraph pole used to be.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I can see a slight dimple in the grass. But it's no longer there.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59- How come it's got moved finally? - When they came to put it back up,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03I came out and begged them to move it into my garden.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08I don't want it in my garden, but I begged them to put it there, and they said OK.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14I'm glad to say there's been no fatalities or major accidents
0:11:14 > 0:11:16in this spot since that was done,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21even though we still have tyre tracks coming across here. I believe that's made a difference.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25We've heard from residents living in and around Stalmine
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and it's clear they strongly believe pedestrian crossings need to be installed
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and that the speed limit outside the village is simply too fast.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But to help get a better understanding of the road,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39we've asked a senior road engineer to have a look.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43John Dawson has over 35 years' experience
0:11:43 > 0:11:47of British roads, so he's ideally placed to comment.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52We're coming to the de-controlled sign, which means national speed limit.
0:11:52 > 0:11:5760 miles an hour we're allowed to travel legally
0:11:57 > 0:12:00on this road, if it's safe to do so.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06The environment doesn't seem quite right for a 60mph speed limit.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09There's far too much property, I would have thought.
0:12:09 > 0:12:16I'm not sure I'd like to come out of my driveway into a 60mph road in this way.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19No protected right turn on a 60mph road.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22There's a bus stop right in the middle of the road.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25This is 60 miles an hour.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26Ah, we're stepping down to 30 now.
0:12:26 > 0:12:34These transverse bars across the road telling the people arriving inside the 30mph limit
0:12:34 > 0:12:37that there must be some kind of hazard ahead.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43Why they're there for traffic going in the other direction is not clear.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47So we're coming up to a more built-up area again.
0:12:47 > 0:12:54Not very well laid-out. We haven't been told the speed limit for a considerable period now.
0:12:54 > 0:13:01Perhaps one of the most striking features was the use of 60mph national speed limits
0:13:01 > 0:13:07in a fairly suburban-looking type of environment.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12I was very surprised to see those speeds permitted.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17To be honest, I'd like to have seen a much more standardised layout
0:13:17 > 0:13:22where we know it can be effective in reducing death and serious injuries
0:13:22 > 0:13:26particularly to pedestrians.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31While John Dawson highlights issues over poor road surfaces and confusing signs,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35he also backs up local residents' concerns, citing:
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It's clear that both John Dawson and local residents
0:13:44 > 0:13:48feel changes need to be made to prevent further deaths and injuries on this road.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52I've returned to see Jim Hill, whose granddaughter Charlotte was hit
0:13:52 > 0:13:54while crossing the road.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I'm meeting Charlotte, her mother and her sister for the first time
0:13:58 > 0:14:00to hear their recollections.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Charlotte, a very distressing day. What do you remember from that morning?
0:14:05 > 0:14:11I remember seeing the headlights on the front of the car.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And that's about it.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17You were crossing at the time, edging onto the road,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20waiting for the traffic to pass, is that right?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Yes, on the other side.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Yeah. There was no traffic coming from the other way.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32And then that's it. You don't remember the hospital? You were in a coma for months.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36The first thing I can remember is saying, "Morning, Mum."
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Morning, Mum?
0:14:38 > 0:14:44The zebra crossing to me would be, if the benefit just saves one life
0:14:44 > 0:14:49or one more child or adult being knocked over and being injured slightly.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51What's the cost?
0:14:51 > 0:14:56We want something different there to allow the children crossing to school
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and other people, to cross in safety.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Peter Swarbrick explains that the risks to pedestrians trying to cross this road
0:15:05 > 0:15:08is a major cause for concern.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12One of the parameters for getting a pedestrian crossing in a village
0:15:12 > 0:15:15is the notion of a divided community.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19The parish council argues that this is a divided community.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24On the north-east side of the road are two mobile home parks
0:15:24 > 0:15:26with a lot of elderly residents.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29And there's the church and the public house.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35On the south side of the road is the post office, shop, village hall and hairdresser.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40So if any member of the community wants to access the services across the road,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43they have to wait a long time.
0:15:43 > 0:15:50In my office, it's not uncommon for pensioners to complain it's taking 20 minutes
0:15:50 > 0:15:52to cross the road. They're getting frightened.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55They come in, they're breathless.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It's difficult for them.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02They really would like a pedestrian crossing on this road to make it safer.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05John Dawson agrees the road through the village
0:16:05 > 0:16:07is a challenge to pedestrians.
0:16:07 > 0:16:14The impression I had was that is was a road that would benefit greatly
0:16:14 > 0:16:18from modern design of living streets,
0:16:18 > 0:16:24of actually recognising that pedestrians are an important road user
0:16:24 > 0:16:27in this sort of environment and they need more attention.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Speeds can be managed down by all sorts of techniques.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The local residents have been campaigning for change
0:16:35 > 0:16:38both within the village and on the outskirts.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Charlotte's grandfather Jim believes simple measures
0:16:41 > 0:16:45could have prevented her accident but feels his voice isn't being heard.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50We've tried for two or three years and gone round in circles.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54You couldn't argue with the County Council, the police. I have a letter here
0:16:54 > 0:16:59from the County Council and Lancashire Constabulary.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- From the police?- It contradicts itself completely.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07They're saying the majority of collisions here are not speed related
0:17:07 > 0:17:11but it's possible through poor driving and inappropriate speed
0:17:11 > 0:17:15though you might not be in excess of the speed... It's saying
0:17:15 > 0:17:18you can have an accident on this road driving within the speed limits.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23- Yes.- That suggests that the speed limit is flawed.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28That it shouldn't be 60mph. It's possible to lose control of the car
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- doing 60, so it should be 40 or 30. Is that your feeling?- Yes.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37I think that at school times where there are children crossing for school,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42at designated points, it should be 20, like it is outside schools. Why not at school bus stops?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Doug has also been pushing for change.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48He's been petitioning for some years.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52You've been quite vocal. You've campaigned to get changes made.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Between 2002 and 2004
0:17:55 > 0:17:59I organised a campaign to try and improve the safety
0:17:59 > 0:18:01of this area of the road.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06I did a petition where we got 2,000 local signatures
0:18:06 > 0:18:08which for a village is very good.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13We've had meetings with the Highways Department, the police, local councillors.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19And basically, very little's been done in that period.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21No-one can say they're unaware of the problems here.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24You've brought them to the authorities' attention.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Yes, and it's well known it's a bad spot.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- It's the national speed limit.- It's 60mph, which is just ridiculous.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Absolutely ridiculous. That's the main thing we wanted to stop.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41A view echoed by road safety expert, John Dawson.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I was quite surprised to see 60mph speeds permitted
0:18:46 > 0:18:51in a road that looked fairly suburban to the eyes
0:18:51 > 0:18:55with lots of residences adjoining the road.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58And then we have the issue of the bus stop.
0:18:58 > 0:19:05If that's a bus once a day, perhaps that's an acceptable risk.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07But if that's a regular bus service,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10that looks to me a really strange thing to do
0:19:10 > 0:19:15to provide a bus stopping in the road on a 60 mile an hour road.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19We'll revisit the story of the A588 later,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22when I confront those responsible for road safety
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and ask why more isn't being done.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29You put in this island. All you had to do was paint in a crossing.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's unreasonable to introduce a crossing at this location
0:19:32 > 0:19:36when there are higher priorities elsewhere.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Throughout Britain, there are many roads like the A588
0:19:44 > 0:19:47which have ongoing issues that threaten lives.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49But there are some causes for optimism.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Killer roads that have been turned around.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57High-risk routes that have been improved with dramatic results.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The A1307 is a mixture of dual and single carriageway road
0:20:03 > 0:20:08running from the A14 at Cambridge to the Suffolk town of Haverhill.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10There's a short section of this busy road
0:20:10 > 0:20:15that for over a decade had locals up in arms and campaigning for change.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Until finally, major work was carried out.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23I think that bus stop was a tragedy waiting to happen.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26We had whole villages sign petitions.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Every household.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31It was unacceptable that people were dying on this road.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32Something had to be done.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Just south of Cambridge is an eight-mile stretch of the A1307
0:20:38 > 0:20:41that runs from the village of Hildersham to the town of Haverhill.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45It's a busy route that carries 20,000 vehicles per day
0:20:45 > 0:20:50and serves as the major link to Cambridge for many villages in the surrounding area.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54In just eight years, there were 149 accidents resulting in injury,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59including 41 serious injuries and 20 deaths.
0:21:00 > 0:21:0415-year-old Imogen Barker was killed in 2007
0:21:04 > 0:21:10when she was knocked down by a car as she crossed the road after getting off the bus from Cambridge.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It happened on a February night at ten to seven.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18So it was very dark. There was no moon out or anything.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19It was a very dark night.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24And as was standard for us, we'd take the bus into Cambridge.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27She got off at the bus stop with two boys.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33They just had to cross the road and she failed to make it.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37She was hit by a car coming out of Haverhill, on the far side of the road.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42The car was going at 50 to 60 miles an hour.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45The car had been travelling within the speed limit,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but Imogen didn't stand a chance.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51My wife and I were at the accident scene within ten minutes and found her there.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57I also knew the moment that I arrived that she was dead
0:21:57 > 0:22:00because - I'm in the medical profession myself -
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and there was no urgency about anything.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07If you're crossing a road and you get hit by a car at 50 to 60 miles an hour,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10there is only one outcome from that, really.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16It was only once that we'd had the tragedy of losing Imogen
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and you then go back and look at that bus stop where the accident happened,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24that you become much more aware of just how dangerous
0:22:24 > 0:22:27a bit of road that was. How dangerous that bus stop was.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30How dangerous it was to cross the road.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35That road had one light opposite to where the bus stop was.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41The bus stop itself was a wooden shed, a somewhat dilapidated garden shed.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44It had a sign on the side of it for a bus stop, at the top,
0:22:44 > 0:22:49but if you didn't know there was a bus stop there, you'd never notice it as you drove past.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It looked nothing like a proper bus stop.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It had no lighting around it,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57there was no warning to anybody that there was a bus stop there.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Once you got off the bus stop which was muddy around this hut,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06you then had to cross two lanes of an A road
0:23:06 > 0:23:12at the top of a hill, so cars would be going at about 50 to 60 miles an hour
0:23:12 > 0:23:14in both directions.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19I think that bus stop was a tragedy waiting to happen.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20When I think about it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23A dark country road
0:23:23 > 0:23:27no lighting, fast cars going in either direction,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29blinded to cars coming up the hill.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Sooner or later, someone was going to get injured there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Imogen's death was the 13th on the road since 2001.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It was clear to local residents that there was a problem.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45They'd been campaigning for change for almost a decade.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Esther Cornell was one of the residents involved.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54Around 2000 there was a major meeting in Linton
0:23:54 > 0:23:58with all the surrounding villages to see what could be done.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04And at that meeting, we were basically told
0:24:04 > 0:24:08that there hadn't been enough accidents in one place and there were no plans for the road.
0:24:08 > 0:24:15So the parish councils from around the area set up a group called Access 1307
0:24:15 > 0:24:21to work together and get a holistic approach on the road and get improvements.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26There's been historically a major issue of getting out of the villages to access the road
0:24:26 > 0:24:29as the road takes 20,000 vehicles a day.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31The campaigners main concerns were:
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The risks posed by the A1307 were acknowledged by local police.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45The road features quite a few hazards.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50By that I mean variable speed limits, nearside junctions, offside junctions
0:24:50 > 0:24:55lay-bys, dual carriageways, villages.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58There's quite a lot for a driver to think about when on this road.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01I was very much aware of the campaign going on
0:25:01 > 0:25:07because our local news and media, it featured in there quite heavily.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Sadly, after somebody died on this road, it was "Another death on the A1307".
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It was a road that featured very highly in there.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20I was well aware that there were groups of people, parish councils,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24people that had a healthy interest on the safety on this road,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28putting pressure for something to be done.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31We gave a presentation of the problems for different villages.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35We specifically mentioned the bus stop at Horseheath.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We said, "You can't expect people to cross the road here."
0:25:38 > 0:25:42At that time, there hadn't been an accident.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47Funding for accident blackspots, there's no funding for risk-taking.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50There is no funding. We're talking quite small villages.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54They look at it. "It's not going to affect that many people."
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It's frustrating because there have been lots of fatal accidents.
0:25:57 > 0:26:04Each one, you feel, "Goodness me. I can't carry on." It's difficult.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08But the death of Imogen at the bus stop gave campaigners further incentive
0:26:08 > 0:26:10to fight for something to be done.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15After the accident, there was a public meeting held two weeks after the accident.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It was within two or three weeks,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20up at the village next door to the bus stop.
0:26:20 > 0:26:27The people from the council were there to talk about the road and the accident.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So that, instantly, was one of the topics that came up
0:26:30 > 0:26:33the accident at the bus stop and what was going to happen.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36We had whole villages sign petitions.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Every household signed it, particularly for Horseheath.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44The whole community was behind it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47From that, a route study was undertaken on the road
0:26:47 > 0:26:51to see what improvements could take place.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52In 2008,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55the A1307 was identified
0:26:55 > 0:26:58as something that really needed to be done.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It was quite unique in the fact that it was a long stretch of road
0:27:01 > 0:27:06rather than any specific junction where the problem was occurring.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10We needed to find a different approach to what we normally do.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Rather than just trying to do something to appease people,
0:27:14 > 0:27:20it was about making sure that what we put in was right for the route
0:27:20 > 0:27:23in order to make the route safer for people to use.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Plans and budgets were being put in place for change.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29But improvements didn't come soon enough.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33We had managed to get funding for improvements to the road
0:27:33 > 0:27:35which are quite significant.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40But before they could be put into place and the funding year started,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42another life was lost.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45The teenager was killed at exactly the same location
0:27:45 > 0:27:47as Imogen Barker.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51But then finally, the breakthrough campaigners had been fighting for.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53After years of tireless lobbying,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57wholesale improvements were carried out along the route
0:27:57 > 0:27:59at the bus stop and a nearby junction.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03We've widened the road to give a right-turn lane
0:28:03 > 0:28:08to protect vehicles turning right, allowing traffic to pass them from behind.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11We've also put in a pedestrian island
0:28:11 > 0:28:15so that there's not such a long crossing so people can do it in two stages.
0:28:15 > 0:28:21And also improved the facilities to access the bus stops, including a footpath
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and raising the level of the bus stop. In addition,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27the visibility around the junction has been improved
0:28:27 > 0:28:30by installing lighting and trimming hedges and trees.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36Making the junction much more conspicuous to people using the road.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40These measures were supported by a high-profile awareness campaign.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44We knew the engineers were putting in engineering measures,
0:28:44 > 0:28:50and we wanted to back that up with a campaign of media and press adverts.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55So there were radio adverts. Drive safe along the A1307, there were posters made
0:28:55 > 0:29:00that were put in local premises, so it was very visual again.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07There were adverts on the back of buses that travelled along this route
0:29:07 > 0:29:10so people could see again, "Stay safe on the 1307."
0:29:10 > 0:29:15The approach we've used on the A1307 was unique.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17It was a different way of working for us,
0:29:17 > 0:29:22combining education, enforcement and engineering aspects of road safety.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26It's something we've gone on to replicate in other areas of the county.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30We've benefited as a service for it,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34combining that education, engineering and enforcement
0:29:34 > 0:29:36and working more closely together.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40The changes made such a difference to the junction and bus stop.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43It's a completely different area now.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44I think what they ultimately did
0:29:44 > 0:29:50was much better than anything I could ever have imagined was possible there.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Now when you go and look at the road,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55you cannot understand how an accident could happen.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59You can't understand how you could get off the bus and be knocked down.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03You only have to negotiate one side of the road at a time.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Cars will be slowing down because there is a junction,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11it's lit, there's a traffic island so you can't go whizzing through.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15It's all so much clearer that there's something going on
0:30:15 > 0:30:16and it's so much safer.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19And the data backs up the measures.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21In the three years prior to the improvements,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25there were 53 accidents resulting in injury and nine deaths.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27In the two and a half years since the work,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31there have been 22 accidents resulting in injury and only one death.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35But with another two people dying in an accident since we filmed,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38there are still concerns about the safety of the road.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And with Haverhill continuing to grow at a rapid rate,
0:30:41 > 0:30:46there is a feeling that perhaps more improvements will be needed in future.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50At the present moment, we're going to carry on complaining,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52obviously keeping an eye on the grave plans
0:30:52 > 0:30:56and making sure that changes can happen
0:30:56 > 0:31:00without the huge loss of life that's happened in the last ten years.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04It's definitely not job done. I hate to say that.
0:31:04 > 0:31:10But people are not injuring themselves on this road, so that's a positive.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14It's nice to know that something good has come out of something that is so awful.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18There's nothing good about Imogen losing her life in that way,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22but the fact that something positive has come out of it by making that bit of road safer,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25is some sort of comfort.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I would never want anyone to go through what we went through.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Losing your child is one of the worst things that can possibly happen.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Turning up at an accident scene just after it's happened
0:31:36 > 0:31:40and seeing your daughter on the road is not something you want anyone to go through.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45So if you can change a road such that that won't happen again,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47that is a fantastic thing to do.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Improvements to dangerous roads are always welcome.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Sometimes, these changes aren't physically obvious.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I'm at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham
0:32:01 > 0:32:06to meet Dr Nick Reed and find out more about psychological traffic calming measures.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11I want to experience how reducing the speed limit in a built-up area
0:32:11 > 0:32:16can actually help control speeding when the driver re-enters faster roads.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21Nick, what have we got lined up for today? What simulation are we doing?
0:32:21 > 0:32:25This is the car simulator. You'll be driving it for about 15 minutes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29It's a route where you encounter a number of different villages
0:32:29 > 0:32:34and in those villages, you might encounter some psychological traffic calming measures.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38We'll be looking to see how that affects your speed as you drive.
0:32:38 > 0:32:44Psychological. Not physical interventions like road bumps, but other techniques people can use.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49Things that make you feel the road is more risky, and maybe choose to adopt a lower speed.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- OK. Let's give it a go, then. - Take a seat.
0:32:52 > 0:32:58As with many of the UK's A roads, this simulated road will take me through villages and countryside.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02I'll experience a variety of different speed limits.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06The simulator will monitor my speed, gear changes, and watch my eye movements
0:33:06 > 0:33:10ready to be assessed at the end of the drive.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Around 1,000 people are killed each year because drivers and riders travel too fast.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Around two-thirds of accidents that result in serious injury or death
0:33:18 > 0:33:22happen on roads with a 30mph limit or slower.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25I can see the next village coming up.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Slightly narrower here, the gap.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33There, I did feel the road was constricted and I had to slow down.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I didn't probably brake hard enough
0:33:36 > 0:33:39but I felt I had to come to the middle of the road
0:33:39 > 0:33:43and certainly watch my speed.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- That's an example of traffic calming?- Yes,
0:33:46 > 0:33:52there was a brick surface that came into the left-hand side of the road,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56making it feel that the road was narrower as you entered the village.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00Hopefully, it encourages drivers to slow down as you enter the town.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05- So it's like a gateway measure.- OK. Is that what you call it?- Yes.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10Studies show drivers exceeding 40 miles an hour where gateways have been installed
0:34:10 > 0:34:14falls from 50% to around 10%.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Here comes another village.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Ooh, 20.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21This is testing, when you've got an even slower speed limit,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24how well did the drivers obey that speed limit.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28This makes you quite impatient, when you're crawling along.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30"Thank you for driving safely."
0:34:32 > 0:34:36While we're doing these tests, we not only look at your speed in villages,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39it's your speed outside the villages as well.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42So having gone through that 20 miles per hour region,
0:34:42 > 0:34:48travelling at 60 again feels psychologically faster
0:34:48 > 0:34:51than it had done previously.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57Dropping the average driving speed by just one mile an hour reduces accidents by five per cent.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Behaviour in the simulator is representative of behaviour in the real world.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03That's what we're trying to test.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Time for the results. How have the psychological measures affected my speed?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- So, Nick, how did I do? - You drove very well.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13You kept to all the speed limits
0:35:13 > 0:35:17and you lowered your speed going through each of the villages.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20What we saw with the psychological traffic calming
0:35:20 > 0:35:23is you were more comfortable at the lower speed limits
0:35:23 > 0:35:26when the psychological calming measures were in place.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30You slowed down and took the villages more slowly
0:35:30 > 0:35:34and were more comfortable at that lower speed when there were extra measures.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40I certainly found the first time I went through a village I was doing it fast with no calming measures.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44The calming measures made me think more about the speed. Is that typical?
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Yes, the measures are part of a tool kit of measures
0:35:48 > 0:35:50that an authority can use
0:35:50 > 0:35:53to help reduce speeds at certain locations.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57How many people would you test a simulation like this on?
0:35:57 > 0:36:00We use a range of numbers of people.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Anything from 20 to 100 participants
0:36:02 > 0:36:06that come in, drive the simulator, and we compare their results.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Is your conclusion that these traffic calming measures work?
0:36:09 > 0:36:12The conclusion was that psychological calming measures
0:36:12 > 0:36:16are effective and can be more appropriate at certain locations
0:36:16 > 0:36:18to reduce speeds.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Back in Lancashire, the short stretch of the A588 around Stalmine
0:36:26 > 0:36:31is still three times as dangerous as an average British A road.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36Charlotte Rainford was hit as she crossed the 60 mile an hour road to catch a bus.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38She spent three and a half months in a coma.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Her family want to see changes made to the road
0:36:41 > 0:36:44before more lives are devastated.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47She's lucky to be here. Her injuries were horrific.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52She spent six months in hospital in Manchester.
0:36:52 > 0:36:59What's the cost of a zebra crossing to the cost of supporting someone through hospital and treatments?
0:36:59 > 0:37:03- It's nothing in the perspective of everything.- No.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Many of the local residents have been campaigning for lower speed limits and crossings.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10But with limited success.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15There is a saying among municipal engineers that in order to make things better,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19things have got to get worse so you can then improve them.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21This means that if things do get worse,
0:37:21 > 0:37:26then there's more willingness on behalf of the county to spend money.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29But does that mean somebody has to be killed or maimed
0:37:29 > 0:37:31because of money?
0:37:32 > 0:37:36A lot of those people that have been hurt, either injured or passed away,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40have been people that I know, or I know people that know them.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It's just a terrible loss of life.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50People want answers, so I've arranged to meet Jim Robson from Lancashire County Council
0:37:50 > 0:37:54to discuss their concerns and find out what decisions have been made.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Jim, thanks for taking the time to meet me.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59The A588, it's a bit quiet at the moment,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01but it is a problem road, isn't it?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03A problem in terms of accidents, yes.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08We share data with the police in terms of accidents
0:38:08 > 0:38:16and looking at the figures, there's clearly a higher number of collisions and casualties.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20The residents we've spoken to, there are a couple of things they want to address.
0:38:20 > 0:38:26To the south of the village there's a very fast section of road, 60mph limit,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28and they want that reduced.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32There was representation locally to a local committee
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and local people involved through the community
0:38:34 > 0:38:38that they thought this ought to be taken to a reduced level.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41The cabinet member listened to this representation
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and has included a reduction to 50 miles an hour
0:38:45 > 0:38:49as part of the programme that's due to be completed this financial year.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52So the speed limit is going to be reduced. Good news.
0:38:52 > 0:38:58Is that slow enough? There's a section with driveways, a nursery on the corner,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01buses often stationary in the road.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05The bus stop is some distance from the bend.
0:39:05 > 0:39:12We had a look at it this morning on the way here and ought to be visible over the hedges
0:39:12 > 0:39:15if they're maintained by landowners.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17There isn't a crossing there.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21The level of pedestrian activity suggests a crossing would be inappropriate
0:39:21 > 0:39:25and people have to take appropriate caution as they cross the road.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29The council says it's committed to reducing the speed limit to 50mph.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33But that doesn't deal with campaigners' demands for a pedestrian crossing.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38If hit by a vehicle at 40mph, nine out of ten pedestrians would be killed.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42At 20mph, it's just one in 40.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44If we go into the village of Stalmine,
0:39:44 > 0:39:49there has been a lot of attention from the local community
0:39:49 > 0:39:54on the campaign to get a crossing in the village. Why isn't there a crossing there?
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Unfortunately, at that location, it simply hasn't met the criteria
0:39:58 > 0:40:03of being screened with other priorities because of their higher level of usage.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07So Hambleton has a crossing because it has more people.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11But Stalmine isn't worthy of one. Is that what we're saying?
0:40:11 > 0:40:17It's not a matter of being worthy. It's what the demands are around the county.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22We have to assess them and see which have the highest priority based on those assessments.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Funding is allocated according to that.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28But the council drew up plans for a crossing in 2007.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33I've got a copy. I want to know why work was started but not completed.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37You put in this island. All you had to do was paint in a crossing.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42We've done the part of the works we could do with the funding available,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44which was to improve footways.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46We didn't have funding to introduce a crossing
0:40:46 > 0:40:50and it would be unreasonable to have a crossing at this location
0:40:50 > 0:40:53when there are higher priorities around the country.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57You have to be careful on this, because when it comes down to pots of funding
0:40:57 > 0:41:01what we can and can't do, we can build this but not paint that in,
0:41:01 > 0:41:08you look very inflexible to local people when there's a clear demand that they need and want this.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13In fact, we've been flexible in extending the footway scheme to include the landing island
0:41:13 > 0:41:15and made best use of the funding we had.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20But we couldn't introduce a crossing with higher priorities elsewhere.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32There's no doubt the A588 has a notorious reputation as an accident blackspot.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Local campaigners and some road safety experts agree
0:41:36 > 0:41:40that much more needs to be done to help protect road users.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44The council have agreed to implement a reduced speed limit of 50mph
0:41:44 > 0:41:45on parts of this road.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47But is it enough?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Anything's an improvement. That's excellent news.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Why it's taken this long, I don't know.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59I still think, like the majority of people in the village and on this road,
0:41:59 > 0:42:05we signed a petition with 2,000 signatures asking it to be 40.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07But 50 is an improvement.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- We still need a zebra crossing. - Still need a zebra crossing. - For the kids.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13It's disappointing.
0:42:13 > 0:42:19But I think the more people that object to the lack of a crossing,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22if people become more involved,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- then maybe something will be done by pressure.- Yes.- Public pressure.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30This road continues to disregard the needs of pedestrians
0:42:30 > 0:42:36with inappropriately placed bus stops and no sign of a crossing down there in Stalmine.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40But there is some good news. Finally, after all that campaigning,
0:42:40 > 0:42:45this stretch of the A588 will have its speed limit lowered by ten miles an hour.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Will that be enough to prevent serious accidents here in the future?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Who knows? I really hope so.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd