View petition

Officers have inspected the site and analysed the latest traffic information to fully consider the petitioners’ concerns. In Hertfordshire, we have over 3,000 miles of roads, which include some of the busiest roads in the country, so unfortunately, it is inevitable there will be some collisions. By definition, collisions are rare, random, multi-factor events, always preceded by a situation in which one or more road users have failed to cope with the road environment. Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) are concerned when any collision occurs, therefore, we actively endeavour to address the number and severity of collisions on our roads through the work of our road safety engineering specialists. However, because road safety involves a multiagency approach, with engineering being one component of that approach, we also work with our road safety partners to educate and inform road users about what they can do to keep themselves and others safe on our roads. On an annual basis we review the database of personal injury collisions that have been reported to the Police. Our analysis of this information helps us identify those locations across the County where there have been the most collisions. We use the results of our analysis to identify and prioritise the sites we will investigate and, where appropriate, carry out engineering work, so that whatever work we do maximises the reduction of personal injury collisions on the County’s road network. We would of course like to address all road safety issues on our roads. However, because we do not have limitless funding, we have to direct our resources to those areas where our work has the greatest potential to reduce the number and severity of collisions that occur. Our Road Safety Unit monitor the accidents and prioritise hazardous sites based on accident history. In this respect I have checked the five year accident records for Northridge Way and found there have been 4 slight injury accidents within the five year period (1 June 2009 – 30 April 2014). Three of these accidents caused slight driver injury involving 2 vehicles and the remaining one involved a pedestrian approximately 20 metres South of the junction with Long Chaulden. There were no accidents recorded at the junction of Northridge Way with Jocketts Road We give careful consideration to all requests for road safety engineering works and follow the same procedures for prioritising all our investigations. Based on our consistently applied procedures including the above accident assessment, we cannot justify spending road safety engineering funds for a zebra crossing at Northridge Way at this time, when there are other locations in the County, with more significant treatable road safety issues, that have yet to be addressed. In addition to the above, HCC have adopted a Speed Management Strategy which lays down certain criteria that have to be met before any traffic calming or speed reduction measures can be considered. These criteria include average speeds, number of accidents, existing speed limits and the environmental nature of the area concerned. This strategy can be found by visiting Hertfordshire County Council’s website. To assess speeds and volumes of traffic, a traffic survey has to be undertaken to assess whether the mean speeds exceed the speed limit of the road. The Police and the local County Councillor will be asked to determine whether this site, should be considered for a survey, although there may be other sites demanding higher priority. The County Councillor has access to a limited Highway Locality Budget for small schemes etc., of local concern and will ensure the Highway Locality Officer explores this option to help fund a traffic survey and/or look at the current advance warning signs etc. In the interim we have notified our contractor Ringway to look at cutting back any overhanging trees to improve visibility to the current signs. At the current crossing arrangement just north of junction with Jocketts Way, vehicles technically have the right of way, although the red surfacing does draw drivers attention to the likelihood of pedestrians crossing. This crossing point also has tactile paving and dropped kerbs to assist visually impaired and pram or wheel chairs users. The islands a bit further north are basically traffic splitters to effectively narrow the carriageway and thereby reduce speeds and therefore not really a crossing provision, although it is obviously used as such in that pedestrians can briefly stop on the islands. At this stage, the request for providing a zebra crossing at this location cannot be met. The situation will be reviewed periodically.