Road safety measures welcomed at tragic spot

Date: 11/10/2010

New road safety measures installed at an accident blackspot have been welcomed.

Essex County Council has put a series of bollards in place at a section of road including Main Road and High Street in the town of Dovercourt after a series of accidents, the Harwich and Manningtree Standard reports.

This has been welcomed by the father of Charlotte Blackburn, who died at the spot last year at the age of 17 when she was hit by a car.

Neil Blackburn noted: "The bollards could save someone's life in future. Obviously I am very disappointed it wasn't there when Charlotte was alive but it is good news."

He noted the council had previously been unable to install the bollards because of rules concerning road safety, but the authority was allowed to take the step because there have now been several accidents at the site.

A road safety scheme in neighbouring Cambridgeshire won the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award earlier this month.

Measures including standard speed cameras helped the A14 safety scheme - run by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership and Speed Check Services - to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the route by 68 per cent.

Posted by Sarah Bailey