Drive to curb speeding on busy roads outside schools in Trowbridge

Cllr David Vigar, the chair of Trowbridge Highway and Footway Improvement Group, is spearheading the drive to reduce speeding on busy roads.

He says the town needs to improve road safety, particularly where children cross roads on their way to and from primary and secondary schools.

Cllr Vigar, the Wiltshire Council and Trowbridge Town Council ward member for Grove, has submitted a request to install a SID and signage on Silver Street Lane in Trowbridge close to its junction with Hazel Grove and Balmoral Road.

Cllr David Vigar wants to install a Speed Indicator Device near this junction in Silver Street Lane close to Hazel Grove and Balmoral Road. (Image: Trowbridge Town Council)

Trowbridge Town Council’s town development committee last week agreed to forward the request to the LHFIG which Cllr Vigar chairs.

Cllr Vigar said: “I’m very pleased that the plan to provide the post and socket for a speed indicator device is moving forward and that the LHFIG will consider this next month.

“The section of Silver Street Lane near Hazel Grove is one of many areas where most drivers observe the speed limit but average speeds are too high to make 20mph zones practicable without expensive traffic calming infrastructure.

“However, the speeds are too low to justify interventions such as a Community Speed Watch programme.”

His campaign to install more SIDs is being backed by the mum of a 17-year-old girl who was seriously injured while cycling home from school with a friend.

Mrs Jackson, of Church Lane, North Bradley, said: “I think anything that reminds people of the speed they are going, particularly in built-up areas, are a good thing.

“Silver Street Lane is obviously used as a cut-through from Bradley Road to Frome Road  and I think that’s when commuters and traffic users need to be reminded of the speed that they are going.

“That area is a high-use area for children on foot because they are going to and from school.”

Poppy suffered a fractured skull in the accident and doctors said she was lucky that her cycle helmet saved her from more serious injury.

She is now aged 17 and has made a good recovery from her injuries. She is now studying for her A-Levels at John of Gaunt School.

Poppy Jackson has since made a good recovery from the serious injuries she suffered in 2019 at the age of 12. (Image: Caroline Jackson)

Poppy said: “In built-up areas, I think SID’s are good thing because sometimes people go too fast and need to be more aware of their speed.”

Cllr Vigar added: “As Poppy’s case shows, there is still real potential for a serious accident, particularly when children and going to and from school and there are lots of cars parked on the roads, restricting sight lines for drivers and pedestrians.

“In such situations a speed indicator device (SID) combined with clear signs showing there is a school nearby can be critical in alerting drivers to the risks and urging them to slow down and take care.

“The costs of the posts and socket for an SID are reasonable at around £350 and I think it would be good to have them installed at other high-risk locations across the town.

“Trowbridge Town Council earlier this year agreed to allocate £5,000 to purchase a new SID which could be moved around these locations.

“Personally, I hope we can buy more so we can make them regular or even permanent features at the most hazardous places.”