woodstock road , speeding cars

Sun 10 May 2009, 16:11

Does anyone know why the road was closed last night at the B4437 /A44 junction bearing right to Charlbury around 8.45pm, just before the Stonesfield turning? The police told me it wasn’t a car accident. What was so bad that all drivers had to divert to Enstone to get to Charlbury.

Sun 8 Mar 2009, 10:28

The Government is considering cutting speed limits on most rural single-carriageway roads from 60mph to 50mph.

Ministers believe the potentially unpopular move may be needed to cut the number of deaths among motorists and pedestrians. But the Automobile Association warned that there should be no "blanket" reduction, and instead called for a "targeted approach".

Currently the speed limit on almost all single carriageway roads outside of towns is set at 60mph, except for at accident blackspots.

However, road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick is said to have been struck by figures showing that the rural parts of the road network were more prone to crashes.

Mr Fitzpatrick is looking at reducing limits in a bid to improve the UK's road safety record, which used to rank among the best in the world but has slipped in recent years.

In 2007 there were 2,946 deaths and 30,000 serious injuries on British roads, with speed being a factor in 29% of them.

The Government has brought forward a range of proposals to try to boost safety, including imposing six penalty points on motorists who break speed limits "excessively", and punishments for using mobile phones while driving.

There are also suggestions that a formal "drug-drive limit" could be introduced, after statistics showed a fifth of all road deaths were caused by drivers on illegal substances.

AA director Edmund King told the Sunday Telegraph: "Rather than impose a blanket cut, the Government should adopt a targeted approach."

uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090308/tuk-proposal-to-cut-rural-speed-limit-6323e80.html

Fri 6 Mar 2009, 09:41

Oxfordshire County Council Highways (Northern) are very amenable to attending a meeting to discuss your concerns - they are based in an office in Kidlington and their contact details can be found on the OCC website.

Either approach your Town Council about convening a meeting or organise one yourselves - I'm sure they'll attend to discuss your concerns and explore alternatives.

Thu 5 Mar 2009, 21:05

Dave, you make a sensible remark about the unneccessary speed restriction on Woodstock road. The stupid thing is that when you get to Blacks Gate where the road bends, twists and narrows the speed limit changes to unrestricted. The professional department (I think?) who determine speed limits, the placing of humps, and narrowing to single passing points on our roads, so often cause traffic problems rather than ease the flow. Also traffic lights are often timed wrongly and never seem to get altered or corrected. Sorry, but I feel better for having my whinge.

Thu 5 Mar 2009, 11:23

David: I wouldn't quite say that there is "No pedestrian activity" on Woodstock Road. I've walked along the bit near Lees Rest at least five times in the last year and I occasionally see other people doing likewise when I cycle along that stretch. However, I accept your point that it would seem more effective to concentrate resources on the centre of Charlbury where there is lot of pedestrian activity rather than on a quietish bit of road in the middle of nowhere.

Presumably, within the next few years all new cars will be fitted with automatic speed-limiting devices with all UK speed limits pre-programmed into them. It will then be impossible to exceed a statutory speed limit because the engine will just cut out if you attempt it!

Thu 5 Mar 2009, 00:11

Richard. I completely agree with your sentiment. However, I would say that the imposition of a speed limit that is highly unlikely to ever be enforced is probably a waste of time.

Having just been on a speeding course (due to being clocked doing 34 mph on a duel carriageway in Milton Keynes!), I am much more aware of my driving habits. The presenter took great pains to explain what and what shouldn't be considered a dangerous area and why certain limits are imposed (all of which made sense). Based on this, Woodstock Road falls directly into a national speed limit section of road, which I believe is why most people ignore the new limits. This includes the following:

No street lighting
No houses adjacent to the road
No pedestrian activity.

I am still therefore perplexed as to why the limit is in force. Whilst I know this post will have me vilified as a "car terrorist", I would rather see rigorous enforcement of the 30 mph limit in Charlbury rather than a spurious speed limit on a relatively safe stretch of carriageway.

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 19:30

I am very surprised that we have not yet seen speed camera vans on the Woodstock Road at Kings Wood after the speed limit went down to 50mph.

I am so sure this will happen before long I do now stick to 50mph

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 19:22

If I may humbly divert the thread away from the admittedly tempting subjects of bikes, pheasants, and kamikaze squadrons of penguins on jetskis, maybe we could devote some thought to Helen's original question?

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 18:33

Isn't the quantity of roadkill reflective of the fact that we live in one of the quietest corners of southern England - rather that we drive faster than the inhabitants of Horspath or Watlington?

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 17:02

Yes, please don't compare me to Igor because I may quite rightly get offended!

Geoff: you obviously haven't read my post fully, because in the last paragraph I took pains to point out that some cyclists (including myself) cycle too fast, thus making sure that I was deliberately not aligning…

Long post - click to read full text

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 16:35

Well I know it was not in Charlbury and I know it was some time ago, but I was getting off a bus that had not pulled into the bus stop. Only to be run over by a cyclist who managed put me into A+E for 6 hours with a broken arm and several large cuts and bruises. He was not prosecuted for undue riding. And I was even told I should have looked left before I getting off the bus. So I know how the dead badgers, foxes, deer, pheasants, rabbits, rats and hedgehogs feel.

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 15:25

OK Richard,
Here we go again,we have had all this before I agree speeding by a few needs to be stopped somehow,but citing road kills as proof of speeding is rubbish at 20mph if an animal runs strait under your wheels there is not much you can do about it as Helen said.

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 13:42

Would it be possible to have a rational, reasoned and impersonal discussion on this forum about how to make Charlbury a better place to be a road user of any kind? I, for one, think that 'something needs to be done', but hesitate to make any more practical suggestions now, because of the intemperate responses that result.

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 13:03

Portraying it as an argument and starting to cite personal names is exactly where this went wrong last time. Please, no more comments like that.

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 12:42

Here we go again, the old argument Cyclist v Motorist. Igor reborn!!

Wed 4 Mar 2009, 09:47

Derek, there are times when it is impossible to avoid hitting wildlife. They do not take steps to wear visible clothing at night, do not follow the green cross code, use pedestrian crossings, or look out for cars. Attempting to take avoiding action can in certain circumstances - slippery road, oncoming or following traffic, etc can cause serious accidents - so, apologies pheasant, but you may not make it to live long enough to be shot!

Tue 3 Mar 2009, 19:16

My answer to Helen's question would be "Yes" but I would widen the issue by stating that, in my opinion, the speed of traffic in West Oxfordshire in general is too high. As a very regular cyclist, I experience speeding motorists on an almost daily basis. They may not inconvenience me but they certainly worry me. What concerns me is that many motorists do not seem to adapt their speed to the sort of road they are driving on. It is not acceptable to treat a tiny C-road coming out of Minster Lovell as if it were the M40; other road users, especially cyclists, will not expect this.

Another tell-tale sign of speeding motorists is the vast amount of roadkill to be observed around Charlbury. In the last few months alone I have seen dead badgers, foxes, deer, pheasants, rabbits, rats and hedgehogs on the roads around Charlbury. Obviously drivers were going too fast to stop when these creatures ran out in front of their wheels (or else they didn't care whether they hit them or not). Would the same drivers be able to stop in time if a pensioner or small child stepped out in front of them?

Finally, it is not just motorists who travel too fast on the Woodstock Road. Last summer I twice activated the "30 mph" warning sign by exceeding that speed limit on my bike, the last time by recording a whopping 34.1 mph! I was very proud of this but I suspect PC Plod would not have been as impressed had he been watching!

Tue 3 Mar 2009, 08:42

Yes - politely!

Mon 2 Mar 2009, 23:42

are we allowed to talk about speeding? 4X4's, Car's and Jetski's yet Richard? Oh I forgot Cyclists

Mon 2 Mar 2009, 13:30

Are there others concerned with the speed of traffic on the Woodstock Road ?