‘SPEEDING OUT OF CONTROL IN THE CITY’
COV TRAFFIC BOSS TELLS OF CONCERN OVER ROAD SAFETY
THE councillor responsible for Coventry’s roads has admitted “speeding is out of control across the city” but said the authority cannot tackle it alone.
A year ago this month, young brothers Corey, six, and two-yearold Casper Platt-May, were hit by a car which was being driven at more than 60mph in a residential street.
The tragic incident led to the council agreeing to spend £120,000 on a road safety scheme in Longfellow Road, Stoke, following a petition of 4,600 signatures.
Cabinet member for city services councillor Patricia Hetherton said most of the issues relating to her role were related to speeding vehicles.
But she said tackling the issue was difficult to enforce and control.
“Speeding is just out of control in the city,” she said.
“There is no enforcement out there.
“What we are seeing is atrocious driving so everything we are getting is about speed. Where we can we will try to cut speed but we cannot do it everywhere. I
“It is about personal responsibility.”
Cllr Hetherton was speaking at a city services cabinet meeting on Monday, February 25, where a petition called for action to reduce speeding on Gretna Road.
In their petition, residents said the council must take action “before a serious accident occurs”.
Cllr Tim Sawdon agreed the culde-sac was a problem, particularly at night, adding “people hurtle down that road at a fantastic speed”
He said: “It is not local residents it is drivers speeding down only to realise it is a dead end.”
A review of Gretna Road showed no injury collisions had been recorded in the last three years.
Safety schemes are prioritised in locations where there have been six or more recorded injury collisions in the previous three years.
A council officer said as a result the authority must “balance the funding”, and in this instance no measures will be taken on the road.
“Just because nobody has been killed or injured does not mean we should not do anything about it,” Cllr Sawdon added.