Motorists should accept a 45 second delay to make their children safer, according to petitioners in Bracknell.
Road safety campaigners in one corner of Bracknell are battling to reduce traffic speeds in their communities.
They want to reduce the speed limit on Peacock Lane between Jennett’s Park Roundabout and the Southern Industrial Area and the communities of Jennett’s Park and Wykery Copse.
Residents say that police enforcement activity is ‘at a record low’ and that it would take an extra 45 seconds for commuters to reach their destinations if speed limits were reduced.
According to them it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality either on the developments or Peacock Lane.
The community built on the former Peacock Farm, Tarman’s Copse and Jennett’s Hill is sometimes called ‘Jennett’s Park’ and has roads named after birds like Barn Owl Drive, Swift Fields and Goldfish Crescent.
Many drivers find it difficult to reduce their speed to 20mph after coming off a fast road and Jennett’s Park is right off the A329M motorway, where speeds of 70mph are quite legitimate.
Furthermore, 20mph speed limits are notoriously difficult to stick to, penalising absent-minded drivers with otherwise unblemished records.
The petitioners wrote: “Many residential roads across Bracknell Forest now have a 20mph speed limit.
“It has been proven that the risk of serious injury to a person, particularly a child, is greatly reduced when the speed limit is 20mph rather than 30mph.
“In many cases the collision and injury is avoided altogether as the driver normally has a greater chance of stopping.
“Jennett’s Park and Wykery Copse are two residential developments in the Borough with a large foot fall that would benefit from such a change in limits.
“Whilst some drivers may complain about extra time to their journey this would be about an extra 45 seconds such a change would be of benefit to the Community.
“Additionally the Borough are asked to consider a change to the speed limit on Peacock Lane from the roundabout at Doncastle Road through to the roundabout at Sparrowhawk Way – this is currently a 40mph limit.
“Over the last 20 or so years the number of homes adjacent to Peacock Lane has increased significantly but at the same time the traffic volume, particularly large heavier vehicles has increased.
“Crossing from one side to the other of Peacock Lane has become a dangerous activity with vehicles often travelling in excess of the current limit.
“There have been a number of collisions in recent years including vehicles losing control and crashing into fences adjacent to homes bordering the road to collisions at Butler Drive as residents attempt to turn out onto Peacock Lane.
“Whilst the increase in commercial and industrial businesses on the adjacent business estates is welcome, the additional traffic is not – a lot of this now includes large lorries that thunder down Peacock lane, causing homes adjacent to the road to rattle – a 30mph limit on this stretch would appear to be more appropriate
“Traffic surveys have been carried out but the results are not shared with residents. Police enforcement activity is at a record low.
“Peacock Lane is often used as a cut through to avoid Twin Bridges [roundabout] – it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality either on the developments or Peacock Lane if action is not taken soon.”
Bracknell Forest Council has been approached for a comment.
