Call for traffic lights at notorious crossroads black spot near Oswestry
A former police officer has added his weight to calls for changes to a notorious accident black spot near Oswestry.
The latest accident on the Llynclys crossroads near Oswestry last week saw two children airlifted to Alder Hey children's hospital and two other children and three adults were taken to hospital in Shrewsbury.
Since the two-vehicle crash a petition has been launched which has already been signed by more than 3,000 people.
There have been calls for speed cameras to be placed at the approach to the crossroads on the A483 to slow the traffic down.
But Kevin Jones, a former local police officer who had to deal with accidents at the crossroads during his career, said cameras would not help.
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He said: "Llynclys crossroads is notorious because of its design, allowing vehicles enough room on the main A483, Oswestry - Welshpool road, to position themselves in such a position to either turn right towards Porthywaen or right towards Knockin if travelling from Welshpool.
"This allows the main carriageway traffic to carry on whilst the vehicles wait in the centre of the road to turn."
Mr Jones said it was mainly through the right turn movements that many of the accidents occurred.
"Other drivers think they can turn onto the opposing carriageway believing the traffic has halted due to the vehicles turning. Most accidents at the crossroads occur therefore at low speed and drivers chancing the fact the road is clear."
"The road is controlled by the speed of the amount of traffic it carries, and in view of its visibilities from any of the four approaches, the crossroads speed approach is ultimately therefore at low speed."
He said that the volume of traffic on the A483 was huge.
"It is the main north to south Wales route," he said.
He said the answer to the problem was traffic lights.
"A traffic island is impractical apparently because of the visibility. We were told many years ago that they would have to raise the road four metres to make an island possible."
Mr Jones urged people to sign the petition and report non injury accidents to the police.
"Because of a lack of police officers nationally, the daily/weekly non injury accidents at the crossroads are not on the statistics anymore and it’s those statistics that the Highways Agency relies on. If there are not accident statistics, they will say there is no issue.
People can sign the petition here
