Driver education

There is nothing wrong with the A259 as regards safety. The incidents that you report appear to have nothing to do with the road.

The first incident that you report states that one of the two vehicles was on the wrong side of the road. One had to be for a head-on collision to occur. This was a driver fault, not a cause of the road. That particular stretch of road is straight with clear vision in both directions.

The second crash at the London Road King Offa Way junction, again, how was the road at fault? The junction and the lights controlling it are clearly visible from all directions. This incident could only have occurred through a driver fault of some kind.

You state that the Highways Agency quote the road has a high record of drivers keeping to the speed limit. Residents claim that traffic speeds and uses it as a racetrack.

I use that road on a regular basis at all hours of the day and night. During the day the volume of traffic regulates the traffic flow to a crawl. 21mph was quoted recently as the average speed. Even in the early hours of the morning I have never witnessed any ‘high speed’ driving.

Councillor Kenward wishes to see traffic calming. As I have already stated, the traffic calms itself. I believe that has already been achieved with the multiple light controlled pedestrian crossings that have been introduced along that stretch of road.

We must not forget that this is an A-road, the Folkestone – Honiton south coast trunk road. It carries a huge volume of traffic, far more than it was ever intended to do.

Maybe this is a good reason to push for the by-pass/relief road? But then, with less traffic, the inclination for speeds to increase will be present.

Why would there be a need for 30mph signs for those coming from Dorset Road or Hastings Road? They are already in a 30mph limit.

Driver education is what is needed, not further restrictions on all of us.

Maybe Mr Barker and/or Cllr Kenward would produce for publication the amount of traffic that uses the road on a daily basis and a table of figures of incidents, injuries and deaths so that we may put into perspective the number of incidents in comparison to the amount of traffic over a similar period. It would also be prudent to show the causes of the incidents.

Maybe then we would be able to see if it is the road or the drivers who are at fault? Then, perhaps, address the real cause rather than the standard sensationalistic headlines blaming the road.

Richard J Porter

Sutherland Avenue

Bexhill-on-Sea