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Warminster's danger roads claimed 22 victims in 2008
(March 21, 2010)ONE worrying statistic where the Warminster community area does badly
in the NHS produced Joint Strategic Health Assessment is in traffic accidents.
The statistics show that there are more people killed or injured on Warminster's roads that almost anywhere else in the county.
In 2008 there were 22 people killed or seriously injured on our Warminster roads compared to just two in Calne or 10 in Trowbridge.
The worst area was Chippenham where there were 29 casualties.
''Of course there is a lesson in that we should all take particular heed of statistics but analyse them with care,'' said former county councillor Steve Dancey.
''The reason that Warminster and Chippenham's stats are high is because both community areas contain long lengths of busy and fast road such as the A36 or M4.
''The A36 trunk road runs 14 miles through our community area and contains such traffic hazards as Black Dog Hill, Warminster bypass and the dangerous Knook hill section near Upton Lovell.
''Even though they may not be local people who are often the victims on our roads it should be for the local MP to campaign more vigorously for action.
''They are the people that the Highways Agency take notice of.''
There has, in the past, been some good examples where the Agency has done something after the MP became involve.
In the mid 1990s traffic lights were installed on the tricky A303/A36 intersection when Mr Robert Key raised the issue following the tragic deaths of two elderly women whose car was in collision with a lorry.
More recently county councillor Ian West managed to secure the unheard of installation of a pelican crossing on the A303 at Winterbourne Stoke - the only traffic signal on the route's entire length.
''Those 22 deaths in the Warminster area are a signal to whoever is elected in May that they have some business to attend to and that we expect to see some action.''
The statistics show that there are more people killed or injured on Warminster's roads that almost anywhere else in the county.
In 2008 there were 22 people killed or seriously injured on our Warminster roads compared to just two in Calne or 10 in Trowbridge.
The worst area was Chippenham where there were 29 casualties.
''Of course there is a lesson in that we should all take particular heed of statistics but analyse them with care,'' said former county councillor Steve Dancey.
''The reason that Warminster and Chippenham's stats are high is because both community areas contain long lengths of busy and fast road such as the A36 or M4.
''The A36 trunk road runs 14 miles through our community area and contains such traffic hazards as Black Dog Hill, Warminster bypass and the dangerous Knook hill section near Upton Lovell.
''Even though they may not be local people who are often the victims on our roads it should be for the local MP to campaign more vigorously for action.
''They are the people that the Highways Agency take notice of.''
There has, in the past, been some good examples where the Agency has done something after the MP became involve.
In the mid 1990s traffic lights were installed on the tricky A303/A36 intersection when Mr Robert Key raised the issue following the tragic deaths of two elderly women whose car was in collision with a lorry.
More recently county councillor Ian West managed to secure the unheard of installation of a pelican crossing on the A303 at Winterbourne Stoke - the only traffic signal on the route's entire length.
''Those 22 deaths in the Warminster area are a signal to whoever is elected in May that they have some business to attend to and that we expect to see some action.''