Somerset Council has agreed to implement ‘immediate’ safety measures on the A361/A362 Frome bypass amidst ongoing concerns about the number of vehicle collisions resulting in fatalities and injuries on the stretch of road.
Calls by residents and councillors have increased this year, urging Somerset Council to introduce safety measures or reduce the road’s speed limit.
Over the past year, there have been four more fatal collisions on the Frome bypass. The latest incident, on 10th September, left a 17-year-old with life-threatening injuries after a collision on the A362 between Longleat Roundabout and Frome, near Corsley Heath.
Following a recent meeting convened by MP Anna Sabine, Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police have expressed shared concerns about road safety. As a result, Somerset Council has now committed to improving signage and road markings, installing new warning signs to alert road users to potential dangers and cutting back vegetation that may be obscuring sightlines.
“Road safety is one of my key priorities as an MP, and I regularly hear tragic stories from constituents about how it has affected their families,” said the MP. “I am pleased that Somerset Council has agreed to make some short-term improvements at this dangerous junction, and I will continue to press for a longer-term solution here and at other accident blackspots.”
There have also been calls for the authority to redesign the road layout at the junction of the A361 and A362, which has been the site of several fatal incidents over the past year. However, Somerset Council has stated that such changes are unlikely to prevent collisions and fatalities.
Frome Town Councillor Anita Collier, lead councillor for road safety, welcomed the new measures saying, “I am thrilled with the ‘immediate measures’ being taken by Somerset Council to improve the safety of the A361. It’s something residents have been hoping for, for a long time.
“It is heartening to know that Somerset has agreed to better signage, clearer road markings, and cutting back vegetation that obscures road signs. This has been a long time coming, and hopefully, it will be the first step towards making this road much safer.”
At a recent Frome Town Council meeting, a CrimeStoppers representative highlighted the charity’s focus on road safety in the Frome area, encouraging residents to anonymously report any behaviour that could put others at risk.
