Hot TOPICS 
A36 t- the toll of death
(July 08, 2012) THE Government has no hope
of convincing two local campaigners that departmental criteria now stand
up as the death toll mounts on a tiny eleven mile of the national
Highways Agency 'trunk road' network and claims another three lives this
year.
"I am not going mess about with blame," says former councillor Paul Macdonald. "This is far too serious and non-political. It is about life or death and now if ever is the time for the solution.
"I am in regular contact with the MP and would now welcome more support to help him in his letter writing with those responsible.".
Steve Dancey said: "I don't think it is unreasonable for us to expect some significant action to tackle this problem,
"There have been too many deaths and too little action."
"On the A36 at the C Road West and East Hill Farm junction on the Heytesbury by-pass at 6.30pm on Tuesday 13th March 2007 when the weather was fine a cyclist was killed in an incident involving a car and a bicycle," says Paul reading a BBC report of that day.
Others follow with 'On the A36 at the B390 junction at 11.13am on Thursday 13th February 2003 when the weather was fine a 31-year-old car driver was killed in an incident involving a car and a seven-and-one half ton lorry driven by a 29-year-old who was also injured,
'On the A36 at the B390 junction at at 1.18pm on Friday 26th November 1999 when the weather was fine a 68-year-old female driver of a car was killed in an incident where a 62-year-old male driver of a truck over seven-and one half tons was injured.
'On the A36 at Knook bends at 2.42pm on Saturday 20th February 1999 when the weather was fine a 38-year-old woman who as a passenger in a car was killed and the 29 year-old driver was injured in an incident with a goods vehicle driven by a 38-year-old man who was also injured.
'On the A36 near Upton Lovell at 12am on Monday 14th July 2003 three vehicles were involved in an an incident that took the life of a 73-year-old man. A van driver was uninjured but the driver of a goods vehicle over 7.5 tons was injured.
"Between 1999 and 2010 the total death toll in the West Wiltshire was 77 drivers, passengers or cyclists for that area which I have served as a local councillor constantly warning about the tragedies to come," adds Paul.
The eleven mile section of the A36 from the Black Dog HIll to the end of the Codford by-pass caused 22 of those deaths, serious injuries to two others and injuries to another twenty.
"Two per mile is a statistic that is appalling," says Paul. "Who is going to warn the public that being on the A36 going round Warminster when the weather is fine is life-threatening?"
"I am not going mess about with blame," says former councillor Paul Macdonald. "This is far too serious and non-political. It is about life or death and now if ever is the time for the solution.
"I am in regular contact with the MP and would now welcome more support to help him in his letter writing with those responsible.".
Steve Dancey said: "I don't think it is unreasonable for us to expect some significant action to tackle this problem,
"There have been too many deaths and too little action."
"On the A36 at the C Road West and East Hill Farm junction on the Heytesbury by-pass at 6.30pm on Tuesday 13th March 2007 when the weather was fine a cyclist was killed in an incident involving a car and a bicycle," says Paul reading a BBC report of that day.
Others follow with 'On the A36 at the B390 junction at 11.13am on Thursday 13th February 2003 when the weather was fine a 31-year-old car driver was killed in an incident involving a car and a seven-and-one half ton lorry driven by a 29-year-old who was also injured,
'On the A36 at the B390 junction at at 1.18pm on Friday 26th November 1999 when the weather was fine a 68-year-old female driver of a car was killed in an incident where a 62-year-old male driver of a truck over seven-and one half tons was injured.
'On the A36 at Knook bends at 2.42pm on Saturday 20th February 1999 when the weather was fine a 38-year-old woman who as a passenger in a car was killed and the 29 year-old driver was injured in an incident with a goods vehicle driven by a 38-year-old man who was also injured.
'On the A36 near Upton Lovell at 12am on Monday 14th July 2003 three vehicles were involved in an an incident that took the life of a 73-year-old man. A van driver was uninjured but the driver of a goods vehicle over 7.5 tons was injured.
"Between 1999 and 2010 the total death toll in the West Wiltshire was 77 drivers, passengers or cyclists for that area which I have served as a local councillor constantly warning about the tragedies to come," adds Paul.
The eleven mile section of the A36 from the Black Dog HIll to the end of the Codford by-pass caused 22 of those deaths, serious injuries to two others and injuries to another twenty.
"Two per mile is a statistic that is appalling," says Paul. "Who is going to warn the public that being on the A36 going round Warminster when the weather is fine is life-threatening?"