Motorists face speed limit cuts on busy A-road with crash rate '10 times higher than it should be'

Drivers could soon face lower speed limits on one of North Somerset's busiest roads after the council unveiled plans aimed at cutting the number of serious crashes.

North Somerset Council has revealed plans to reduce speed limits along a 3.8-mile stretch of the A370 between M5 Junction 21 and Hildesheim Bridge in Weston-super-Mare.

The busy dual carriageway carries around 35,800 vehicles every day and has long been identified as one of the district's most dangerous roads.

According to council figures, the route makes up just 0.5 per cent of North Somerset's road network but has been linked to more than five per cent of all reported injury collisions over the past 30 years.

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The road has also been highlighted as a significant collision hotspot, with four of the 13 sites identified in the council's latest road safety review located along the route.

Although the number of road traffic accidents has fallen across North Somerset in recent years, officials warned this stretch of the A370 has failed to follow the same trend.

Instead, it continues to record a high number of crashes, with excessive speed repeatedly identified as a contributing factor in many of the incidents.

The council hopes reducing speed limits by 10mph at several points along the route will improve safety while having little impact on journey times. Under the proposals, the current 60mph limit on Somerset Avenue, between M5 Junction 21 and Airport Roundabout, would be reduced to 50mph.

Three further sections would see speed limits cut from 50mph to 40mph. These include Airport Roundabout, Flowerdown Bridge and Herluin Way.

The biggest reduction would affect Winterstoke Road and Marchfields Way, where the existing 40mph speed limit would fall to 30mph.

The council said speed monitoring carried out along the route suggests average vehicle speeds are already low enough to support the proposed limits.

Officials argued the plans are in line with national road safety guidance and are similar to measures already introduced by neighbouring councils.

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The authority also pointed to research from the Transport Research Laboratory, which found that reducing average traffic speeds by just one mile per hour can lower the number of collisions by around five per cent. The council estimated a 10mph reduction in speed limits would add less than one minute to most trips along the route.

The authority also noted that during the busiest times of day, delays are mainly caused by traffic lights and congestion rather than the speed limit itself.

Councillor Hugh Malyan, North Somerset Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "The collision record for this stretch of busy road is ten times higher than it should be and speed is a key factor in this.

"By lowering the limit by 10mph we hope to reduce incidents and improve safety with minimal impact on journey times. The 10mph reduction will also improve fuel consumption and lower emissions, which is good for the pocket as well as the environment."

The plans will now move into the formal consultation stage before any changes can be introduced.

Traffic Regulation Order notices are due to be published on July 16, giving residents, businesses and other interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposals.

If the required statutory procedures are completed and the scheme is approved, work to install the new speed limits is expected to begin towards the end of August.

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