Speed Reduction on Caen Hill to 50mph

Be honest now, who likes to bomb it up and down Caen Hill dual carriageway like they’re Michael Schumacher on a promise? Who thinks once they’ve made it through town’s traffic that they’re auditioning for The Fast and the Furious episode 15? Well, your days of thunder might be numbered….

Wiltshire Councillors meet next week to consider a formal Traffic Regulation Order, proposing the introduction of a 50mph speed limit on the A361 at Caen Hill, near Devizes. Decision details state “The Council’s proposals have a good level of support and combined with road safety improvements will positively contribute to collision reduction at this location.”

During the formal consultation period a total of eleven items of correspondence were received. Of those eleven correspondents, 6 indicated that they supported the Council’s proposals, 3 raised comments surrounding the extent of the project and 2 spanners were in objection! Who objects to road safety measures, when one day it could be someone they care about in a collision?

Led by Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, a decision will be made on 22nd July, and could be carried out as early as next year.

I know it’s going to raise some objections, probably from the Schumacher wannabes, but I support this. There’s no barriers, poor signage, and the pedestrian path is overgrown. Halfway up a fallen tree completely obstructs the path, and you have to step into the road to avoid it. With more events happening at Park Farm, there’s more pedestrians.

There’s dodgy crossings at Poulshot, Potterne and Rowde, plus a few farm tracks. There’s even a few residential properties and one conveniently placed breakers yard, if you do write your motor off. There’ve been numerous accidents there, some fatal, and using it daily, personally I find it miraculous there’s not many more.

I’m no killjoy, but what’s the point in racing along it when you abruptly go from national speed limit to 30mph with little forewarning, or equally anchor brakes on for a tractor when it merges into a single lane the other direction, before you’ve even got the time for the wind to blow-dry your gorgeous blonde locks?!

When you look at dual carriageways elsewhere, coming in or out of urban areas, they are 50mph. Look at the Botley interchange on the notorious A34; that’s wider, walled, with central and side crash barriers, and only has two junctions with full slip roads, and that’s 50mph.

But the sad reality is often, such restrictions only serve to remind the moralistic drivers who edge just over the limits, but those who think they’re Han Solo trying to make the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs, will continue to believe they’re force protected.

The bottom line is that it has to be a conscious decision by the drivers to slow down, and if the reduction helps, then it’s worth the cost of a few signs, surely? Please, don’t be a numpty, councillors, back this.