Residents are urging Somerset Council to install traffic lights at the A361/A362 junction on the Frome bypass, which saw a multi-vehicle collision last week.
A van and three cars were involved in a collision at the junction, where two people were taken to hospital with injuries on Wednesday 15th April.
Following the incident, a resident launched a petition urging Somerset Council to install traffic lights at the junction as a solution to improve safety.
The call comes after five fatalities on the Frome bypass in the last five years.
The resident said, “Installing traffic lights at this junction is a practical and effective solution that could drastically reduce the risk of accidents and improve the overall traffic situation. Traffic lights would provide clear right-of-way instructions, helping to alleviate the confusion that currently plagues this area. The absence of traffic lights here causes confusion and increases the risk of collisions, particularly during peak hours when traffic volume is high.”
Within the first week of being launched, the petition gained more than 600 signatures and follows others set up over the years calling for Somerset Council to improve safety at the junction.
In March, Somerset Council shared plans to reduce the speed limit on the Frome bypass from 60mph to 50mph, introduce central hatching to narrow lanes where possible, cut back vegetation to improve visibility and upgrade road markings.
However, residents said the plans ‘did not go far enough’ to improve safety and urged ‘stronger’ measures to be introduced.
Following the incident on 15th April, MP Anna Sabine, who has also been campaigning extensively on the issue, wrote a letter to Somerset Council’s lead member for transport, Richard Wilkins, and road safety officer Nick Cowling.
She said, “I am extremely concerned by the continued number of incidents at the A361 junction outside Frome. The multi-vehicle collision is yet another example of what is becoming an increasingly worrying pattern. This junction is clearly one of the most dangerous points on our local road network. While I recognise the steps that have already been taken to improve safety, it is clear that more must be done, and urgently, to protect drivers and other road users.”
To sign the petition, visit https://shorturl.at/d9KJW
Pictured: A361/A362 junction – Google Maps
