Make our road safer say worried West Bromwich families
People living next to a 'race track' in West Bromwich have called for road safety measures to prevent speeding motorists.
Residents of All Saints Way, which is next to Sandwell Hospital, want to see drivers prevented from speeding, with one reporting 'average speeds of 60mph' on the 40mph dual carriageway.
Homeowner John Shapcott, 73, would like to see flashing signs telling people of the speed limit, and a police presence on the road to book offenders and deter others.
The retired highway construction worker said: "As it is, the road is a race track, there's no deterrent whatsoever. Cars come down here at an average of 60mph, and at night you can here them speeding.
"It's like a rat run from Newton Road at the top to the other end, it's absolutely horrendous – they are travelling like maniacs.
"There's been a number of accidents, it happens every few weeks. Someone's got to do something before people get killed."
He said the problems are exacerbated as the route is sometimes used for diversions when road works are taking place on the M5, and that when lorries pass 'you can feel the house shaking'.
He also feels the volume of traffic on the road has increased since it, along with connecting routes, were turned into red routes and the construction of an underpass at the road's junction with the A41 The Expressway was completed.
Another resident Lilian Bradley, 66, worked for 26 years as a crossing warden including outside the hospital. She said the speeding has got worse over the past few years.
"It's terrible," she said. "When we try to get our car on and off the drive sometimes we've got no chance, we have to sit there for 10 to 15 minutes because they come down so fast.
"We've got cracks appearing in our ceiling now, I think because of the volume of traffic.
"And we get lots of accidents – there was one where the car nearly ended up on our forecourt.
"They have to do something."
Councillor Ian Jones, Sandwell's neighbourhoods boss, said: "There are speed limit signs all along All Saints Way and the speed cameras that did operate have been switched off because of central government cuts in funding.
"Unfortunately flashing speed light sensors are even more costly to run."
