Got the hump over near miss
Cycle crossing point on Appenine Way
A near miss has prompted a Leighton woman to fight for warnings over a potentially dangerous speed hump that she says will cause a serious accident in the area.
Susan Kins, 54, of Centauri Close, wants people to be aware of the hump situated on Appenine Way between Centauri Close and Pegasus Road.
She says some drivers and pedestrians are treating it as a crossing, with motorists stopping for people using the pathway from Beaudesert School to the brook at Willowbank.
She said: “There is going to be a serious accident at the road hump.
“I have had to slam on my brakes many times to and from work during peak hours to avoid hitting somebody that has either randomly stopped in the middle of the road, whereas I am presuming they are slowing down for the hump, or has chosen to stop to let walkers cross behind parked cars and I am on top of the hump driving under normal conditions before I see the stupidity.”
While driving home from work last Monday, Susan was left shocked and angry after a close call as she approached the speed hump.
She said a woman with two small children walked out in front of her car after the vehicle on the other side of the road had stopped at the speed hump to let them pass and felt so distressed about it, she contacted the LBO to say “enough is enough”.
She said: “It made me feel totally sick. I couldn’t get it out of my head, all I was thinking about was what could have happened.
“My concern has been brewing for a long time and I thought someone needs to know about this. It needs flagging up to drivers to highlight the danger after how scared I was.
“I want people to be more aware that it is not a crossing. I have phoned the council, who are burying their head, asking them to put up a sign stating that it is not a pedestrian crossing.”
The flat-top road hump was originally installed in February last year as a safe point for pedestrians and cyclists to cross Appenine Way to join the two shared footpaths that run through the estate.
The scheme cost Central Bedfordshire Council £39,000 to build the ‘speed table’ that was intended to improve road safety, but there could be a bumpy road ahead for councillors as the public turn on the addition to the street.
Clifford Broome, 55, of Appenine Way, has lived in his house for 28 years and was strongly opposed to the building of the hump and voiced his views to the LBO last year.
When approached about further complaints of the hump, Clifford said: “They said they were building it to stop accidents, but I said to the council you are lying because I have never seen an accident there. What codswallop.
“I think it is causing more accidents because now people think it is a natural crossing, so people walk out onto the road and then all of a sudden drivers are slamming on their brakes.
“It took months to build and it is starting to deteriorate already. It was such a waste of money.”
Councillor Budge Wells, sustainable communities spokesman at Central Beds Council, said: “There is no requirement for vehicles to stop at this point, but on occasions some drivers may choose to do so. Similarly, some pedestrians may choose to use the raised table as a useful place to cross the road, while others do not.
“What is important is that at all times it is expected that pedestrians will use common sense and adhere to the normal Highway Code practice in this location, just as they would for any other road.”
> Do you agree with Susan and Clifford? Send your views to news@lbobserver.co.uk or tweet @LBOAmanda
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
