New calls have been made this week for more safety improvements along a busy Burnham-On-Sea road after a new survey revealed over half of drivers are exceeding the 30mph limit.
A speed indicator device installed in Burnham’s Stoddens Road recorded 58% of drivers exceeding the 30mph limit during a 16-day period between March 29th and April 13th this year.
The study of 30,010 vehicles found 12,579 were driven at or below the speed limit of 30mph. But 16,759 vehicles travelled between 30-40mph, while 645 drivers travelled between 40mph-50mph, and 27 vehicles were recorded driving over 50mph.
Cllr Phil Harvey, whose family lives in Stoddens Road, told Burnham-On-Sea.com this week: “Speeding is still a concern along Stoddens Road – these new figures show that there is an issue even though the number of accidents has fallen since traffic calming was introduced.”
Last year, we reported how £20,000 of safety improvements were introduced along Burnham’s Stoddens Road with new road markings and a 20mph limit on the bend near the Rectory Road junction.
Burnham County Councillor Peter Burridge-Clayton, right, who secured funding for the traffic calming sheme, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I’m pleased that there has been some improvement in reducing speeds along Stoddens Road.”
“The traffic calming scheme has helped to reduce speeds and there have been no accidents on the sharp bend near the Rectory Road junction since the works were completed.”
A Somerset County Council spokesman added: “The median speed in Stoddens Road for March and April was calculated at 30mph which is compliant with the posted speed limit of 30mph. The 85% speed for March was calculated as 34mph which is 2mph below the intervention limit of 36mph and for April the 85% speed was 35mph which is 1mph below the intervention limit. The intervention limit is the speed at which a location is deemed to have a speeding issue.”
Burnham-On-Sea Police are continuing to monitor speeds along the road and say they do carry out enforcement when needed.
