A resident raised concerns on social media today about dangerous driving practices at the roundabout on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. It was reported that vehicles driving westwards out of Blackhall towards Hesleden and the A19 at Castle Eden were deliberately being driven the wrong way round the roundabout and putting lives at risk.
Most of the comments on the social media post referred to 'idiots', 'a***holes' and 'stupid people' so clearly residents are calling out irresponsible drivers who are deliberately driving the wrong way round the roundabout. That fits with just about every comment and complaint I've received about this matter too, so residents are pretty clear that dangerous driving is entirely to blame for this senseless practice.
However, regardless of where the blame lies, the risk of serious injury or worse from people driving dangerously at this location is a problem that faces every one of us, so we need a collective response if we are to stamp it out. We can all play our part.
As we all know dangerous driving is a criminal offence, so whenever residents see drivers deliberately taking this roundabout on the wrong side of the road it should be reported to the police. In the meantime I'll raise these latest reported incidents with the police directly for their attention, with a request for CCTV or ANPR cameras to be installed if it will help stop this dangerous practice.
If you see someone driving dangerously at this location please contact the police on 101 or 999 depending on the urgency or seriousness of the incident. Full details about dangerous driving and how to report it can be found in this link: How to report dangerous driving | The AA
