A34 speed curb petition doubles after fatal crash

Newbury MP joins the debate, asking for full safety review of the road

A petition calling for new speed restrictions on the A34 after a fatal crash near East Ilsley two months ago has doubled in the days following Wednesday's horrific crash which claimed the lives of four people.

At 5.10pm on Wednesday a woman and three children were killed in an accident while travelling northbound at East Ilsley.

Tributes and sympathy immediately followed as did fresh calls for safety improvements at what has been described as an “accident blackspot.”

A petition which was initially launched in June following a separate fatal crash in which Gavin Roberts died has since seen a spike in signatures since Wednesday’s crash.

Originally gathering around 600 signatures the tally has now reached nearly 1,200 in just two days, with numbers continuing to rise.

Now, Newbury MP Richard Benyon has since stepped into the debate over the A34 “blackspot” and is now calling on a full review into safety at the major trunk road.

He said: “The appalling tragedy on A34 means there must be a full assessment of this roads safety [sic].”

Highways England said in June when the petition was first launched: “Safety is our top priority and we consider any advice given by the police or other statutory bodies to improve safety.

“We also monitor all the roads on our network, including the A34, on an ongoing basis to identify where safety improvements may be made.

“We are commissioning a range of research projects to further improve road safety, including research into the causes of fatalities in collisions on our roads, the impact of roadworks on driver stress and the factors which contribute to poor driver behaviour.”

The organisation has been approached for further comment.

The petition can be viewed by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/oxford-city-council-save-lives-a34-50mph-with-speed-cameras