FINCHAMPSTEAD residents have voiced safety concerns about one of the village’s main roads following a series of accidents and near misses.
A number of collisions have been recorded on Reading Road in recent years, including three in the last two months, and residents have called for the 40mph speed limit to be brought down to 30mph.
Gareth Rees, who lives on the road, set up a website, Reading Road Finchampstead Matters, which documents incidents which occur on the residential section of the road.
He said: “The overriding feeling is one of frustration. We’ve been trying to highlight our concerns for many years.
“There was an incident where a car crashed into and destroyed a lamppost, which was only five yards from a bus stop where school children often wait. It could have been absolutely catastrophic had the timing been different.
“You just hope something gets done before something terrible happens.”
A petition to reduce the speed limit was submitted to Wokingham Borough Council in March 2019, and was signed by 75 people.
The proposals also included moving speed limit signage to give drivers more time to react, implementing speed indicator devices (SIDs), road markings and speed camera enforcement.
Conversations with the council and residents have been ongoing, with progress being made on “the very little things”, according to Mr Rees.
He explained: “We’ve even discussed traffic calming, which the council has implemented all over the borough, but there just doesn’t seem to be any appetite to reduce the speed limit.
“The pavement is narrow. You’ve got children and disabled people in wheelchairs using it. They’re encouraging people to cycle, but I wouldn’t be comfortable cycling on this road, when I’m not even happy walking.
“Many residents have given up hope.”
Two temporary speed indicator devices were installed at the end of April, but Mr Rees believes that speed cameras would be a more effective measure in reducing speed.
He also suggested that recorded crash reports could fail to tell the full story, with visible skid marks on the road and pavement implying sudden braking and near misses.
Last week, Mr Rees pictured tyre marks which suggested a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) took more than 300m to stop, skidded, before mounting the pavement.
Wokingham Borough Council’s director of place and growth, Simon Dale, said: “Our residents’ safety is our number one priority and we work closely with our partners at Thames Valley Police to ensure our residents are kept safe when travelling around the borough.
“We understand the request to reduce the speed limit on Reading Road from 40mph to 30mph. Once a formal request has been received, the request will be assessed. We will request input from Thames Valley Police and will take their comments into consideration in any decision we make.
“Other considerations that also need to be taken into account are existing speeds, accident records and the characteristics of the road. We would like to reassure residents that we are committed to improving road safety in the area and will work closely with the police and other relevant agencies to address the matter.
He added that the section of the road is part of the council’s temporary vehicle-activated speed signs deployment, which are triggered by speeding vehicles, prompting the driver to check and correct their speed.
The council is also looking at installing a permanent feature in this location to remind drivers of their speed.
Requests to change speed limit within the borough can be submitted to the council and further information can be found on the council website.
Mr Dale added that enforcement of the speed limit is not within the council’s remit, ultimately lies with the police.
