A1079 news: More major accidents on the A1079
In the last 7 weeks there have been three major accidents on the A1079 (16th Jan, 31st Jan, 25th Feb), the first two of these at Wilberfoss, the latest at Shiptonthorpe. There has been a major deployment of emergency response resources to each of these and all three occasions the road has been completely closed on each occasion for many hours. As a result, the only road that directly links York to Hull has been unavailable to through traffic, creating major delays and disruption.
All traffic from Hull wishing to travel to York is directed along the A1079. Traffic coming across the Humber Bridge and heading towards York is also directed along the A1079. All traffic from York heading towards Hull is directed along the A1079. And yet other routes are available. Would it not make more sense to make more use of our motorway network by signing traffic along the M62 and thence via other major roads such as the A1 and A19?
Government policy on house building has led to ever-expanding settlements along the route of the A1079. With very little work opportunities available within those settlements, there has been an increase in commuter traffic. For every new house that has been built, at least one and, in many cases two or three cars are introduced to the rush hour traffic.
There is a lobby that blames drivers for the accidents. It is clear that it is a small minority of drivers that drive badly, make mistakes or take risks. There is little that can be done about that and yet it is the overwhelming majority of good drivers who are put at risk. But, of course, no-one except the A1079 campaign and our supporters recognise just how good a driver you have to be to remain unscathed on this road.
The A1079 campaign has lobbied at the highest levels for over 2 years to improve the A1079 to alleviate these problems and make the road safer for all - but there is much still to be done.
The process of prioritising and funding road improvements is mired in heavy bureaucracy, requiring long and expensive evaluations before decisions are taken. How expensive can it be to change a few signs, to suspend all house building planning applications for a period while a plan is put together and funding found to make the road safe?
Is it better to spend huge amounts of money reacting to accidents, or to use that money to help to put in place measures to reduce accidents and the results of accidents?
We simply cannot go on allowing the lives of individuals to be put at risk or wrecked by bureaucratic inactivity. We cannot stand back and see people hurt and communities put at risk. How many more accidents will we see this year? And will anything be done to prevent them?
We need Action and we need it now. Obviously a major plan to upgrade a road will not happen overnight, but it should be possible to put in place measures to make the road safer and alleviate the risk by halting the growth in road usage in the short term.
If you read this and agree, please contact us or, better still, lobby your MP, MEP, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, Hull City Council or your local Parish councillors. This is urgent and important. Your voice counts.
Comments
- 07 Mar 08 23:16 Rich Pete from Hull
- As much as I would like to comment, I am incensed by the remark made in the Press paper from a sister of the innocent victim, at the stage of the investigation, no one knows who was at blame or what was at blame innocent or not, where accidents are concerned an accident is an accident, I am a relative of a person that is engaged to the person that was involved, so this petition is long over due, I live 40 miles away, I know the road when I used to travel to York, I don't know it now, in them days it was a bit naughty, now, is there a word, I will personally stop the traffic and lay down in the road if it brought publicity, but the Government of the day won't do bugger all.
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