Over the weekend a resident contacted me expressing concerns about road safety on Gray Avenue in Hesleden following a traffic-related incident there on Saturday. I'm advised that the incident was reported to the police so as a first step I’ll contact them to ask for more information about the accident.
By way of background I was last contacted about speeding vehicles on Gray Avenue in October 2023. At the time the police carried out a community speedwatch exercise which was inconclusive in showing any specific incidents of speeding vehicles (apparently no vehicles were recorded exceeding the speed limit during the course of the exercise).
However, that was just a snapshot in time on a particular day so any reports of an increase in daily reckless driving incidents since then must be taken seriously by the authorities. With that in mind, as soon as I have more information from the police I’ll also contact the highways authority with a request they liaise with the police to come up with a range of options to reduce the risk of accidents caused by dangerous driving practices and speeding vehicles on Gray Avenue.
As a community we should all have the safety of children and young people foremost in our minds and at the top of the agenda in everything we do. This includes addressing the risks associated with speeding vehicles and dangerous driving whenever they come to light, especially where it is reported to be happening on a daily basis. Those concerns are likely to be heightened now that the school holidays have begun so I’ll make every effort to press the authorities to consider installing any traffic calming measures on Gray Avenue that will address residents’ concerns.
An evidence base of regular incidents will be invaluable in building support for measures to tackle local road safety concerns at this location, so if residents have any similar incidents to report please contact the police on every occasion. If you have any difficulty in contacting the police let me know and I'll take it up on your behalf.
I’ll raise local awareness of this issue on social media in the hope it prompts other residents to report any future incidents to the police.
