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.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And it's not always the motorist that's to blame.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14She would have been alive if there were 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 more needless deaths.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Just to stop any other mum or dad
0:00:23 > 0:00:27walk into an hospital and ask them to identify their son.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The glorious South Downs.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Over 600 square miles of National Park stretching from Winchester
0:00:38 > 0:00:42to Eastbourne and just over there, nestled on the boundary of it, is the A27.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45This stretch is a single carriageway A-road.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51And it looks like a lovely way of taking in the country sights. The reality though is very different.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This road has a history of death and serious injury.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06Set in the south of England and crossing three counties is the A27.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10The 70-mile stretch of road is part dual and part single carriageway
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and travels from Portsmouth to just beyond Eastbourne.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The part of the A27 we're focusing on is a short stretch
0:01:17 > 0:01:21running from Firle to Selmeston in East Sussex.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Major improvement works have been done on a number of sections of the A27
0:01:25 > 0:01:29with good results, but on the three-mile stretch we're looking at,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33you're twice as likely to have a serious crash compared to the rest of the road.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39From 2000 to 2010, there were 149 accidents resulting in injury,
0:01:39 > 0:01:44including 28 serious injuries and 13 deaths.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49That's why the local residents have unofficially named this stretch of road Death Mile.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55Peter Martin-Adams had been returning home from work in October 2006,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58when he lost control of his motorbike on the Selmeston Bends.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00He clipped a car travelling in the other direction
0:02:00 > 0:02:05and was thrown into the path of another, oncoming vehicle. He was killed instantly.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09I have returned to the scene of Peter's accident with his brother, Tony.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Tell me about the evening of your brother's accident.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16He was working in Eastbourne and was travelling
0:02:16 > 0:02:21from the direction of the hill, coming straight down the '27, heading back to Brighton.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It was his normal route home.
0:02:23 > 0:02:29On the day in question, he had been given a promotion at work and was delighted by that.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34His right hand clipped a wing mirror of an oncoming Focus.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Dropped his motorbike. He continued sliding up the hill here.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41And entered into the oncoming traffic lane.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Peter and his bike were struck head on by another car.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- Was he killed instantly? - He was killed instantly.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Just over there you've got yellow flowers on the ground. That's where he came to rest.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56The bike landed in front of the post here, in the bushes,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and my brother, at the time, was laying on top of the hedgerow,
0:02:59 > 0:03:04because it was all cut and much lower than it is currently.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10Traffic following from the Barley Mo back in towards Newhaven had an off-duty doctor,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12who pronounced my brother dead at the scene.
0:03:12 > 0:03:19He was a father. He was an uncle to many siblings. And, you know, it was the loss of a good brother.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25Peter's death was just one of many to happen on this very short stretch.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30Actor Desmond Llewelyn, famous for playing Q in the James Bond films, was killed on the road
0:03:30 > 0:03:35when he was involved in a head-on collision in 1999.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Well, it feels like this stretch of road should come with a health warning,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44but I really want to find out what people who live and work here think of it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- Since we've been here there's been several accidents.- Really?- Yeah.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- Whereabouts? On the bit outside your pub or on the corner?- Erm...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Going down that way towards Firle.
0:03:55 > 0:04:02Somebody hit a tree at Christmas and died. There's been several accidents since we've been here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- What do you make of the road outside your shop?- Very busy road.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Quite a few accidents. Quite often it's closed off.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14- So suddenly no-one's coming in the shop cos the road's been closed off?- That is correct.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18They were planning to make a dual carriageway from Brighton up Polegate,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20but that's all been shelved due to costs.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- And have you seen any accidents around here?- Yeah.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I was in a car crash once just here.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- When I was like 13, coming back from school.- Really?- Yeah.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- A car crash just here?- Yeah. - What happened?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I was just in the car with my brother coming back from school.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40And hit another car - pulled out here. Just had a little crash there.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Wow! And was everyone OK? - Yeah, everyone was fine, luckily.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47It's clear that local residents are concerned by the road,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52a fact echoed by Anne Howard, chair of the local Berwick Parish Council.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57A lot of people think that it should be a dual carriageway, but there isn't the money for it
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and, because it's at the foot of the South Downs,
0:04:59 > 0:05:04it's quite contentious. The South Downs has just been made a National Park,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09so there's issues to do with the visibility of a new dual carriageway and the amount of land
0:05:09 > 0:05:12it would take for slip roads, etc.
0:05:12 > 0:05:19After speaking to the local residents, it's clear that the A27 has a deadly reputation.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24But to try and get a better understanding of why this road has claimed so many lives,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I'm going to drive this stretch for myself.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33So here we are. We're coming into the dip and this S-bend from the Eastbourne side.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37It's quite congested. There's a junction here. The traffic's very close together.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43A petrol station, a pub, lots of cars trying to turn in, turn out. And now we go down the dip.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Lots of trees hanging over.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I can see to the bottom of the hill, but I can't see the corner beyond it.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53As we come into the bend, I can't see the hill coming out of the dip.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55And this is the longest stretch, by far.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00They break it up in the middle here with some bollards and a filter lane.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02There's a turning to the right AND the left.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08And that keeps the two lines of traffic apart and stops anyone just trying to nip out here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And very quickly you get tailbacks on this road.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15People get frustrated. They've been used to doing faster speeds
0:06:15 > 0:06:19further back in the west on the dual carriageway.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23And there's nowhere on this road that really relieves that frustration,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25that goes wider or let's people pass safely.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27You just have to sit tight and be very patient.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32'Having driven from Selmeston down to Firle and experienced the road one way,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36'I've turned around to see what it's like travelling in the other direction.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Now we've left the Firle Straights and we're going on towards the dip
0:06:40 > 0:06:44where Tony's brother Peter very sadly lost his life.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49First of all, the hedges are much closer to the edge of the road.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54We've got a "reduce speed now" sign showing a bend's coming up. You don't see it till it's close.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58It's sort of facing out into that field. It's not facing the oncoming traffic.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01And I can't, now I'm in the bend, see up the hill.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05These trees above us are just of hanging over. There's no direct sight line.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Now that I'd driven the road, it's easy to understand
0:07:09 > 0:07:13why some people believe that a dual carriageway is the only option.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Every day, there are 3,000 more cars on this road than in 2001.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21It seems clear that improvements
0:07:21 > 0:07:24simply haven't been implemented as fast as traffic has increased.
0:07:24 > 0:07:30But as the local MP and Under-Secretary for the Department of Transport explains,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32a dual carriageway is not an option.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36It's not a modern road so it's not easy to adapt it to modern standards.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41So it wouldn't have been possible to simply dual the existing road.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47You would have to have built a brand-new dual carriageway road further north or further south.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Probably north of the road. Leaving the existing road in place, carrying local traffic,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55with land between the two roads effectively isolated.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59That would be quite damaging to the local farming community,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02as well as being very environmentally intrusive.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06And a new dual carriageway would have cost well in excess of £100 million.
0:08:06 > 0:08:12Probably double that in today's prices. You must ask, "What is the purpose of spending that money?"
0:08:12 > 0:08:16We have to be pragmatic about this and tell those who hold out for a dual carriageway
0:08:16 > 0:08:22it isn't happening. No party is placed to provide a dual carriageway.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25If we'd waited for that, nothing would have been done.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29But all is not lost on this part of the A27.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35Some campaigners argue that simple improvements could enhance safety on this road dramatically.
0:08:35 > 0:08:42Tony Costen believes there are easy, low-cost measures that could make this road much safer.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- What are the issues on this stretch of road?- Visibility.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Visibility, awareness.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53- So visibility? So some road signs are hidden and obscured by the bushes here?- Absolutely.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Including the red one that says "reduce speed now".
0:08:55 > 0:09:01- Yeah.- That's facing the fields. Looks good to the sheep. Doesn't help the drivers.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I think you've got to change the layout of this road slightly.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11If the road had better visibility, Peter may have been here today. Just by widening the road slightly.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16You've got this grass verge here. It's a massive piece of land. Take it back, put a small path in,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20so it gives the locals somewhere to walk as well, keeping the hedges down.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Put in a solar-panel light that says you're entering into a 40 zone.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30Make it flash. You've got that in West Sussex, in Heathfield, which is just down the road here.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35And what about the big, white signs that say there's been a number of casualties on this road
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and a number of fatalities. That always makes people think.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44It makes people slow down when they see the sign. His death was a pointless death.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48To be fair, any death on the road is a needless death, isn't it?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Apart from the sheer volume of traffic using this road,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Tony and the local campaigners also pinpoint the following issues as a problem:
0:10:03 > 0:10:07This road frustrates some drivers, who then can make dangerous driving decisions,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11which might explain why there have been so many head-on collisions here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I'm interested in finding out
0:10:13 > 0:10:18what industry experts have to say about the hazards on the A27.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22So I've asked the chair of the European Road Assessment Programme to give us his analysis.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27This is a national trunk road. You can see the traffic volumes
0:10:27 > 0:10:33show why it is. I mean, this looks really very heavy traffic for a single carriageway.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38Lanes are narrow. There are aggressive objects, trees and hedges,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40to left and right.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45This is not really what one expects from a national trunk road,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49which we know is carrying about 25,000 vehicles a day.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54This is really WAY below the standard we'd expect and poor road conditions to boot.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00This is not providing any overtaking opportunities,
0:11:00 > 0:11:05which at flow levels of 25,000 vehicles a day need to be very frequent.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Otherwise long convoys and frustration builds up. There's a heavy truck there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14There is a long convoy of vehicles behind.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20This is NOT a road which is fit for commercial purpose.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25Now we're stepping down to 40mph, restricted overtaking.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27This is an emergency measure.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Here is a lay-by to the left. That is, at least, of modern design.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's undulating, poor road condition.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Inadequately loved.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Coming up to the crest of a hill. Visibility is poor.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Banned overtaking is absolutely right.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The road needs to be looked at from first principles.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52First of all, get the basics right.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57First of all, get the road marking in condition, exactly as it should be,
0:11:57 > 0:12:02that all the marking and warnings are actually there.
0:12:02 > 0:12:09The run-off risks of aggressive objects close to the roadside should be tackled.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14The road almost certainly needs a verge. The hedge lines need to be moved back,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17at the very least.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21There needs to be attention to where safe overtaking can be provided.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26It needs a look at the road in the round, along its whole length.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32Like Tony Costen and other campaigners, John Dawson pinpoints visibility as a major issue.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39He also points out that a road with such heavy traffic...
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I've heard from those most affected by the A27
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and from road safety experts.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51To get an even better understanding,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I'm meeting someone who has to deal with the immediate aftermath.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Sergeant Phil Duffy has seen first hand the consequences of crashes on this stretch,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03having attended over 25 accidents.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I've been to all manner of incidents along this stretch.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Everything from rear-end shunts to fatalities. A pretty mixed bag.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15There are times when we have a rear-end shunt which closes the road.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18People's perception of, "The A27. Shut again!
0:13:18 > 0:13:25"It must be a serious incident." It might be a very minor incident but the road is impassable.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- So we've had to close the road. - So incidents have a real impact?
0:13:28 > 0:13:34What are the main hazards here? It's quite narrow. It rolls a bit. Sight lines aren't good.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's a narrow road. It's a fast-moving road.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Erm, it's mixed. Mixed array. You've got a big, long straight at this end.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45You've got lots of winding roads up to a hill with a junction at the top.
0:13:45 > 0:13:52If people drive to the speed limit and look and see what hazards are coming to them,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55this is a perfectly safe, negotiable bit of road.
0:13:55 > 0:14:01When people don't drive to the conditions or to what they can see, that's when it becomes dangerous.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It is more dangerous than others, cos on some roads you can make mistakes
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and you won't be, effectively, punished by the road for it.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- Whereas here, it seems pretty brutal.- Yeah.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15If you get it wrong on a single bit of carriageway and go on the wrong side of the road,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20you meet a car coming the other way at the same sort of speed and it's a lot less unforgiving.
0:14:20 > 0:14:27After speaking to Sergeant Duffy, it's clear that a variety of different accidents
0:14:27 > 0:14:30happen on this road and something needs to be done.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The road is the responsibility of the Highways Agency
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and, as Anne Howard explains, there have been ongoing efforts
0:14:37 > 0:14:41to get them to undertake specific improvement work.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46Berwick Parish Council, perhaps other councils as well, had a meeting with the Highways Agency
0:14:46 > 0:14:51and we did suggest ideas, such as tractor lay-bys.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57As it's a rural single carriageway, the tractors cause a lot of delays and then people get impatient
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and try to overtake those.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03So more pulling-in spaces for slow vehicles might help.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07They said that they didn't have enough money in their budget for major roadworks.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13Local MP Norman Baker echoes his constituents' concerns about the Highways Agency's lack of action
0:15:13 > 0:15:16to make the road as safe as possible.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21I'm concerned that we still have one major section of the A27 between Lewes and Polegate
0:15:21 > 0:15:23which does has to be dealt with.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28That's the section between Selmeston and Firle. Some work has been carried out.
0:15:28 > 0:15:34But I'm in discussion with the Highways Agency to see what further steps ought to be taken.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I think we still need to do more to look at the safety of that section.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43I'm not happy with the Selmeston Bend itself and I'm not happy with the Alciston junction.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47So I do want the Highways Agency to look again at that stretch.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53They have done some work there. They've extended white lining along the road to discourage overtaking.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56And I think we are making progress.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00But we have a duty to make sure we make the road as safe as possible,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02to reduce the number of accidents and deaths.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The accident rate's coming down markedly, I'm very happy to say.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10But that's not good enough. We want to bring it down even further.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Tony Costen believes that if better safety measures HAD been in place,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16his brother might still be alive.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20He's frustrated that the local campaigns don't seem to be working.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25He and his family were involved in securing 1,500 signatures on a petition
0:16:25 > 0:16:29that was sent to Downing Street, but were disappointed when nothing changed.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32We felt that the petitions were going nowhere.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38We thought it's for politicians to say they're behind something, to get their name out front.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43But there was no action. There was no deliverance. There was no outcomes at all.
0:16:43 > 0:16:50If there's been previous history, then, surely, you know, this is where it comes back
0:16:50 > 0:16:54to people in power to do things to change that.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00Because, irrespective of the cost, a person's life is worth more than that.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Nothing ever got done, nothing, and to this day there's accidents still occurring and nothing's being done.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10There seems to be a strong consensus that more action needs to be taken on this stretch.
0:17:10 > 0:17:17Some solutions appear to be simple and low cost, like clearing hedges to improve visibility.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19So why hasn't this happened?
0:17:19 > 0:17:24We've arranged to meet Rupert Clubb, Director of Economy, Transport and Environment
0:17:24 > 0:17:28for East Sussex County Council. He works closely with the Highways Agency,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32so can give us an insight into why action hasn't been taken.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37We've got to work in partnership with these organisations to make the best of a bad situation.
0:17:37 > 0:17:44We're not the only road in the country that we'd like to see improvements on. There are many.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48There is only a limited pot of money available and where we spend money,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53be it the council, the Highways Agency or any public body, we need to ensure it gives value for money.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57So whilst we might express a desire to have an improved road, there's also a reality there
0:17:57 > 0:18:00about the amount of funding that's available.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Sometimes small improvements can bring about great benefit.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08It's not enough to do one or two incidental features.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13There has to be a systematic programme to upgrade the entire road
0:18:13 > 0:18:17to the safety standards that are actually required.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22And that means a lot more than playing with one or two features.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It means starting from first principles.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Saying, "We're going to have to live with this road broadly as it is for the foreseeable future.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34"Now how can we put ALL the safety features in
0:18:34 > 0:18:39that will make this a safe and modern road?"
0:18:39 > 0:18:42If we could save one death, isn't that worth it?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46How much is a person worth? That's the bit I can't come to terms with.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50We seem to think by moving a hedgerow, cutting a hedgerow,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54widening the road and dispensing of a bit of a lay-by.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Surely, that has got to be worth one person's life.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00We'll return to the A27 later,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04when we put people's concerns about the road to the Highways Agency.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11So clearly on some roads, like the A27,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16there are horror stretches which pose a persistent high risk to road users.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18But it doesn't have to be that way.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23Up and down the country, there are black spots, nasty stretches of road
0:19:23 > 0:19:26which have been successfully targeted,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29like on the A6069, just outside Skipton.
0:19:29 > 0:19:36Set in the heart of North Yorkshire and nestled below the Yorkshire Dales,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39the A6069 is a short, four-mile road
0:19:39 > 0:19:42linking Skipton with the A59.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Close to where it joins the A59 lies a notorious stretch of road,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50known locally as the Niffany Bends.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55The road bends sharply to run parallel with the Leeds and Liverpool canal.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And it's this spot that's caused a local outcry.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It horrendous to lose your daughter,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06but the one thing I struggled with was because she drowned.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11We couldn't believe that it really had happened again cos we all said how ridiculous it was.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Between 2006 and 2010,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18there were four accidents within yards of each other at the Niffany Bends.
0:20:18 > 0:20:24Tragically, they resulted in one serious injury and three deaths.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30In 2008, two people died when the car they were driving left the road at the Bends
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and plunged into the canal. They weren't discovered until the following morning.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Just over a year later, in almost exactly the same spot,
0:20:38 > 0:20:4218-year-old Charlotte Wade was killed when she lost control of her car
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and crashed into the canal, along with two passengers.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Keen horse rider Charlotte, who was studying for her A-levels at the time,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53had just passed her driving test the week before the accident.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Her tragic story was widely reported in the local news.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We received a call about 20 to one in the morning.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06The vehicle had left the road and gone into the canal.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11What we understand is that a driver who was following witnessed this happen.
0:21:11 > 0:21:18He got out of his car. Immediately went to assist. He managed to pull one person from the car.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21But there was still two people in the car.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24A local farmer heard the commotion
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and used his tractor to drag the vehicle out of the water.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31But, sadly, an 18-year-old girl died
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and a 17-year-old boy is in intensive care.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37It was a Saturday.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And she'd gone off to have a lesson in the morning
0:21:41 > 0:21:46on her pony and after that she'd gone straight on to work.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50She'd finished work at 11 o'clock and then gone into Skipton.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The accident happened at about 20 past 12, I do believe.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Our understanding of the accident was that
0:21:56 > 0:22:02it was very slow speed when the car entered the canal.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06And the police believe it may even have been the weight of the engine
0:22:06 > 0:22:12that pulled the car over the canal boundary
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and flicked the car upside-down and then into the water.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19There were only these decorative railings there.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22They wouldn't hold anything back at all.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28And the police were of the opinion that if a barrier had been in place,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33there would have been no fatality and no serious injury that night.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38There was a lot of anger about the accident and we knew...
0:22:40 > 0:22:46It was just a heartbreaking time and I think although you try to cope with it the best way and...
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I just think how she was taken...
0:22:50 > 0:22:55..was hard to comprehend and hard to come to terms with.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00But I just think immediately between the accident and the funeral, you're just numb.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04There's a vacuum there. You've lost somebody very close and precious.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09You're not in any state of mind to analyse what happened and why it happened.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12That comes later. That's all part of your grieving process.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16It's horrendous to lose your daughter,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20but the one thing I struggled with was because she drowned.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25Accident's do happen, but for somebody to be driving very slowly
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and you can have somebody drown - it's just horrific.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33You know, it's not dying from the wounds of an accident.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And for the sake of barriers.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40She would have been alive if there'd been barriers there.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43That was one thing, I must admit, struck me straight away.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47You know, two girls had died the previous year and they drowned.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Charlotte had drowned and it couldn't happen again.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56Nobody else could go through what the other families and us were going through at the time.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00For friends of the two people who'd died the year before,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03it was a shock to hear the same thing had happened again.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08We couldn't believe that it really had happened again.
0:24:08 > 0:24:15We all said how ridiculous it was that the corner hadn't even been properly fixed for ages.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21It was always like a netting thing sort of... Which wasn't protective at all.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25And we all couldn't believe that it had happened so close straight after,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29after we'd all been saying how it hadn't been fixed properly
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and nothing had really been done about it.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Elisabeth and many other young people in Skipton were angry
0:24:36 > 0:24:42that Niffany Bends had needlessly claimed another life. Many of them posted their thoughts online.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Almost immediately after the accident,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50there was a lot of activity on the social networks that the teenagers and young people...
0:24:50 > 0:24:53..well, everybody, uses these days.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57There was a memorial site, but there was a petition set up.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02And it's amazing how quickly...
0:25:02 > 0:25:05..these petitions grow.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09You always think that your children don't really communicate,
0:25:09 > 0:25:14but, actually, all these social networks and how they all knit together,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17it's a force for good in many respects.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21And very quickly we ended up with like 5,500 people -
0:25:21 > 0:25:24almost in the immediate vicinity -
0:25:24 > 0:25:29who had said we want some barriers on that site.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Well, I first heard about it off my best friend
0:25:33 > 0:25:35and she said that it was on Facebook.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39So I signed up to Facebook and I think everybody...
0:25:39 > 0:25:43It was this big petition all over Facebook for everyone to try and sign up to.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46They fought so hard
0:25:46 > 0:25:49for that cause.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55And, really, it introduced politics to them. To make a difference by protest,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58by action, but the right type of action.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01And where a community wants to make a change,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05then there's a catalyst there to make it happen.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09As well as online petitions, friends organised protests
0:26:09 > 0:26:14and generated as much press coverage as they could in order to get things changed at the Bends.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19People were aware of the petition, the need for barriers.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24But something had to come out... Something good had to come out of the tragedy.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28The Craven Herald, our local paper, erm...
0:26:30 > 0:26:34..They sort of led us, in a way, and helped us.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- But, erm... - They represent the community.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39So they - the editor and the editorial staff -
0:26:39 > 0:26:42they wanted to make a difference.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47And they said, right at the start, they were behind any form of campaign
0:26:47 > 0:26:50to install barriers.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54In the press it was front page, it was editorial.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58A lot of letters from residents were in the press as well.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03While the campaign grew and grew, the council were still reluctant to implement any changes
0:27:03 > 0:27:06before they had concluded their review of the Bends.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Eventually though, some new safety measures were introduced.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13The powers that be were clearly listening
0:27:13 > 0:27:17to what was happening in the community.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And they saw fit to put some form of...
0:27:23 > 0:27:29..defensive measures on that bend. So we ended up with a high-friction surface,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33signs to say "slow down!",
0:27:33 > 0:27:38and better road marking. They cut part of the hedge away, so it gave you a better view of the bend.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Cos the hedge used to be very high,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and you came into the bend with a high hedge and you couldn't really see round.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48And the corner goes round and round, so that was all removed.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54So they made the visibility better. So it's positive.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59The improved safety measures were cautiously welcomed by campaigners.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03But there were concerns that the calls for a crash barrier hadn't been listened to.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08None of the measures that they took would have prevented the two accidents, so...
0:28:08 > 0:28:14Yeah, it's... It's good that it happened but we wanted something more
0:28:14 > 0:28:18you know, from the Highways especially.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21You just think it's red tape.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26You know, it's bureaucracy - people with brochures, policies.
0:28:26 > 0:28:33You just think, "Well, common sense has got to come into it in some way."
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Well, I think you can't put a...
0:28:35 > 0:28:40You know, how many deaths do you need to have? One death is too many.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Three deaths is far too many and a serious injury.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And why wait for more people to die?
0:28:48 > 0:28:53Erm... You know, it's upsetting really.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58But, finally, in November 2010, the major breakthrough campaigners had been fighting for.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03At a cost of £150,000, North Yorkshire Country Council
0:29:03 > 0:29:09moved underground cables to install new, steel crash barriers on the stretch of the road
0:29:09 > 0:29:11next to the canal.
0:29:11 > 0:29:17They stated, "The County Council understands the strength of public feeling about this site.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22"And has been able to use funding from the service centre transportation strategy
0:29:22 > 0:29:27"to deliver this scheme in response to the public consultation exercise."
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Bittersweet feelings, really. Not good memories on this stretch,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33but it's not going to happen again.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36The work that's been done exceeds what I thought it would.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41The barrier runs the whole length of the stretch to the railway.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48They have made a very good job of the railings.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53And I'm pleased that no other family will have to go through what we've been through.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58It's more than adequate now. They're the same crash barriers you get on the motorway.
0:29:58 > 0:30:04But to me, it's over-engineered, but they have to meet certain requirements and specifications.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08They're strong enough. They'll take the impact of an artic,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11so, you know, it isn't going to happen again.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Since the barriers have been installed,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18there have been no deaths on this stretch of the A6069.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22And campaigners are hopeful that no family will have to suffer another loss here.
0:30:27 > 0:30:33Only a quarter of all travel by car drivers is between the hours of 7.00pm and 8.00am,
0:30:33 > 0:30:39and yet this period accounts for 40% of serious and fatal road accidents.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43It's no wonder then that there's focus on improving road safety at night.
0:30:43 > 0:30:49Street lighting plays a key role, with nearly two-thirds of people believing that improved lighting
0:30:49 > 0:30:51leads to fewer accidents.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55I've come to the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham
0:30:55 > 0:30:58to find out just how beneficial street lighting can be.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So, Nick...
0:31:01 > 0:31:05I can see a night-time scenario here. What's this simulation all about?
0:31:05 > 0:31:10OK, so in this drive we're looking at how people behave on motorways
0:31:10 > 0:31:14when they're lit and when they're unlit. You'll have five minutes of driving
0:31:14 > 0:31:16where we've got street lights present.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20We then go into an unlit section, where there are no street lights.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22And then we go back into a lit section again.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25And we compare how you drive in each of those sections.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30- So shall we belt up and give it a go?- Let's go.
0:31:32 > 0:31:39So on this one we're on the lit section of motorway. We've got quite a lot of traffic around us.
0:31:39 > 0:31:45And it all seems fairly comfortable, I have to say, with the lighting overhead.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48And when you're looking at this as an exercise...
0:31:48 > 0:31:54I mean, obviously, any form of lighting and structures in the middle cost a lot of money.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57They take time and effort to implement.
0:31:57 > 0:32:03So I suppose you're assessing the value they have and the impact they have.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06That's right. It's the benefits against the costs.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10And do the benefits that the street lights provide
0:32:10 > 0:32:13outweigh the costs of installation and maintenance?
0:32:13 > 0:32:18The studies that we do of this nature are typically for the Highways Agency,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22so they can understand how best to use the infrastructure available to them.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24'A recent study suggests street lighting
0:32:24 > 0:32:29'reduces the number of accidents by an average of 45%,
0:32:29 > 0:32:35'as well as lessening severity of crashes. Highways Agency research shows lighting on motorways
0:32:35 > 0:32:40'reduces accidents by 10%. So it's clear that street lighting is an important safety tool.'
0:32:40 > 0:32:44- What are we looking at here? - It's mostly about speed choice.
0:32:44 > 0:32:50So how fast you choose to travel. If you feel at greater risk,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53the chances are you will choose to reduce your speed
0:32:53 > 0:32:58and we'll look to see how that changes in the lit and unlit sections of the motorway.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Everything's very clearly defined here. I can see the lanes very clearly from the cat's-eyes.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06There's lots of light on the road from the overhead lamps
0:33:06 > 0:33:10and the traffic is all showing up.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15'With 7.5 million street lights in the UK, costing £500 million each year to power,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18'there's pressure to switch some of them off.'
0:33:18 > 0:33:21OK, so we're just about to reach the unlit section now.
0:33:21 > 0:33:27There's less definition. In the middle lane at least, the cat's-eyes still show up well.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30I can definitely feel it working the eyes a bit more as well.
0:33:30 > 0:33:36You're not squinting by any stretch, but you're having to focus more carefully, I think.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41'Last year, Essex County Council turned off...
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'Saving roughly £1.25 million a year.
0:33:44 > 0:33:50'A number of other councils have done the same. As well as the financial reasons for doing this,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54'there's also environmental benefits, with a reduction in CO2 emissions.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59'But from a safety point of view, turning off street lights has been shown to have a negative impact
0:33:59 > 0:34:05'with fatal accidents on roads outside built-up areas rising from just over 3% in lit conditions
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'to almost 5% without street lights.'
0:34:08 > 0:34:13There's clearly some differences, but when you've got a lot of traffic on the road...
0:34:13 > 0:34:17You've certainly got plenty of brake lights ahead or tail lights.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19That also helps lay out the road.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Yeah, the behaviour of other road users is a good guide
0:34:23 > 0:34:28and it certainly is helpful in terms of following the particular lanes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33That is the end of the drive. Please bring the vehicle to a halt.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Right. So there we are. How did I fare with that exercise?
0:34:40 > 0:34:44You drove quite happily at 70, sometimes 75mph, in the lit section.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48And then as we approached the unlit section,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52although you said you felt less comfortable, your speed was essentially the same.
0:34:52 > 0:34:58And then, similarly, going back into the lit section, speed dropped a touch on approach,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02but, as you got comfortable again in the lit section,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05speed crept up and you were comfortable again.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09So although I admitted to Nick that I felt less comfortable
0:35:09 > 0:35:14driving when there were no street lights, I quickly returned to the same speed as on the lit road,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18despite having poorer visibility of what was happening in front of me.
0:35:18 > 0:35:24So it seems that although there's a difference in our awareness when a road is lit or unlit,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26it doesn't always impact on our choice of speed.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31Potentially, increasing the dangers.
0:35:35 > 0:35:41Back in East Sussex and a three-mile stretch of the A27 between Firle and Selmeston
0:35:41 > 0:35:45still has local residents and campaigners demanding change.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56On this stretch you're twice as likely to have a serious accident
0:35:56 > 0:36:03compared to the rest of the A27. It's no wonder local residents are in constant fear of the worst.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08I mean, it's almost a cliche. From where we live, we hear the sirens going.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10And you think, "Oh, there's another accident on the A27."
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Then you think where are your daughters, in my case,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and check that they won't be involved in it, you know?
0:36:17 > 0:36:20It's a very common occurrence, accidents on this stretch.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Peter Martin-Adams was killed in October 2006
0:36:25 > 0:36:29as he rode his motorbike home from work. On the Selmeston Bends,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Peter clipped a car travelling in the other direction,
0:36:32 > 0:36:37lost control and was thrown into the path of another oncoming vehicle.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40He was killed instantly.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42At the hospital,
0:36:42 > 0:36:48I saw some of the worst family disruptions we've ever experienced.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Because everyone was hurting. Everyone was grieving.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58Because, ultimately, it's a lifetime of eternity of never saying goodbye,
0:36:58 > 0:37:03never even telling someone how much you care about them before they go.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07And, as a result of that, our family was smashed open.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10And, even today,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14the family isn't the close family it used to be. It's times like birthdays,
0:37:14 > 0:37:21anniversaries, Christmas - all those things make you think sort of how lucky we are,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25but unfortunate other people are who've gone.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29But it's the void. The void doesn't ever go away.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33There is an argument for the road to be turned into a dual carriageway,
0:37:33 > 0:37:38as sections of the A27 already are, but the environmental and financial impact
0:37:38 > 0:37:41means this option is unlikely to happen soon.
0:37:41 > 0:37:47However, there are many people, like Tony Costen, who believe that changes need to be made
0:37:47 > 0:37:50to the existing road to make it safer.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53They want visibility improved by cutting back trees and hedges,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56and the creation of more overtaking opportunities.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59You've got to change the layout of this road slightly.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04If the road had better visibility, Peter may well have been here today.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Responsibility for the safe upkeep of the A27
0:38:07 > 0:38:11belongs to the Highways Agency. We asked for an interview
0:38:11 > 0:38:15to put the concerns of locals, campaigners and road-safety experts to them.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Unfortunately, they declined our request,
0:38:18 > 0:38:24but they did supply us with a detailed statement responding to the concerns we'd put forward.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29So I've met up with Tony again to let him know what they've said.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Tony, thanks for meeting me again.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36We've had a statement from the Highways Agency to do with the A27, so I wanted to run it by you.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41They highlight, over recent years, they have made improvements on this stretch of the A27.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44That's had a positive impact on reduced collisions.
0:38:44 > 0:38:50In terms of foliage being cut back, they say it's a landowners' responsibility,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52but they will make sure it's done where possible.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56But they talk of things "hanging in the road". We were looking more at sight lines
0:38:56 > 0:39:00and keeping hedges low, so I'm not sure they've grasped that.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03They say they'll take action regarding the signs highlighted.
0:39:03 > 0:39:09These are the ones that were slightly overgrown or facing the wrong way. So that's something.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13In terms of trees being near the kerb and the side of the road,
0:39:13 > 0:39:18they say, actually, most accidents don't involve people hitting trees.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21It's more about people going into the wrong lane.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25So they don't feel it's necessary to put crash barriers around every tree. Erm...
0:39:25 > 0:39:29But they'll look at it again, if need be. It's a little bit reactive, I think.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34They say they continually monitor the problems there
0:39:34 > 0:39:38and if the stats start to go the wrong way,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42if there's an increase in incidents, they will investigate further.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- I don't know if you've got any kind of immediate...- Yeah, I have!
0:39:45 > 0:39:49I'd welcome the opportunity of sitting down with someone from this department.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Someone in the Highways Agency, local or central government
0:39:53 > 0:39:57should stand the ground that every time someone dies on a piece of their road,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00which they've not governed or put the right rulings down,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03should face a consequence, end of story.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08Certainly, I would quibble that at one point we put it to them, in our questions,
0:40:08 > 0:40:13"Due to the amount and type of traffic travelling on this road, the road engineer..."
0:40:13 > 0:40:18That we had in our programme. "..Felt this stretch of the A27 currently wasn't fit for purpose."
0:40:18 > 0:40:23Which is what you're saying. Lots of traffic from businesses starting up in the area.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28They don't really address this. They say what CAN'T be done. They don't say what CAN be done.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34It's quite simple. We're in a period where it's about the economy. It's about finding funds,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36distributing those funds to try and get an even trend.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Make the correct choice now.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Do what can be done, which is using the waste grounds to the side.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Take the bend out, put it into a straighter road.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Put some sort of action where you have the flashing warning signs.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Drop the speed limit from 50 to 40 sooner.
0:40:53 > 0:40:59Why not make it 40 all the way back from the Firle Straights, where they've already made changes?
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Reduce the speed and get the traffic off of there.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Make some meaning so the heavy transport stuff can't go on this bit of road.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13They're looking at funding, not at the well-being of the public and it's a load of toffee.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18For everything you've been through and for everything you've tried to do, what do you do now?
0:41:18 > 0:41:22I think from this point, since I'm absolutely infuriated by these comments,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26is to look at local communities, start getting them onside.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31Start campaigning. Start trying to get some sort of petition again on the internet.
0:41:31 > 0:41:37Get the local papers involved and try and meet up with some more of the families who, like us,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40have gone through this trauma.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42And get as many voices as possible to back this.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Because this isn't going to change. I'm not going to go away from this now.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52And I will speak to as many people as possible to push this point forward.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58So good news that the Highways Agency is going to look again
0:41:58 > 0:42:01at the signage and foliage on the A27.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05But I would still argue that more can be done.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08In some ways, the statistics say things have got better.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13The accident rate per vehicle-miles driven has fallen over the last decade.
0:42:13 > 0:42:19However, there are an alarming number of injuries on what is a very short stretch of road.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23And the other issue is just simply one of traffic. A huge increase of traffic.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28There's now 3,000 vehicles more a day using this road then ten years ago.
0:42:28 > 0:42:34And yet, despite a few treatments here and there and changes of speed limits in places,
0:42:34 > 0:42:39nothing fundamental has been done to make this road fit for purpose
0:42:39 > 0:42:42for the traffic it now receives.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:10 > 0:43:12E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk