Increased Motoring Risk On The A329M

This article was published on: 10/15/15

Scott Rees logo

The A329(M) in Berkshire has angered motorists with its poor signage which could potentially lead to road traffic accidents. The recent work was aimed to ease congestion by widening the north and south slip roads. As reported by Getreading, the work is virtually done, however it is the lingering road markings which have got the road users blood boiling.

The A329(M) has a history of grinding motorists’ gears, with the website pathetic.org.uk, a UK road complaints website, noting how the A329 didn’t even have a central reservation at one point.

Problem Signage

The problems drivers have been facing on the road today are that there is little warning that the road is reducing from two lanes to one, which can lead to emergency lane switching and other drivers needing to break suddenly.

It’s clear that these are accidents waiting to happen. One motorist, Peter West, was quoted on getreading saying “On both journeys I saw drivers making late lane changes when they realised they were in the ‘wrong’ lane.” he went on to highlight the accident risks “Heaven forbid it leads to a fatality but I repeat it’s an accident waiting to happen. You only need drive along the road with the object of looking at the signage critically to realise it is appalling”.

Roadworks Causing Needless Misery

This isn’t the first instance where roadworks have caused pain and misery to drivers. In September 2015, narrow lanes, due to roadworks on the M3, hampered fire-fighters attempts to rescue victims of a fatal car crash. As reported in Getsurrey, the unnamed firefighter said “the first South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) paramedic to respond to the crash was forced to leave her car and was given a lift to the crash site by road workers in one of their lorries. An ambulance crew was significantly delayed getting through the congestion.”

Sadly, the driver involved in the crash was announced dead at the scene but this should be a great cause of concern for those with injuries that need to be treated immediately and every minute counts.

Have you been involved in an accident, or know someone who has been in an accident, where the fire or medical team arrived late? Give us a call on 01695 722 222.

Shocking Statistics on Road Signage and Accidents

The Daily Mail reported in 2013 that one in three drivers have had a crash or a near miss because of ‘baffling’ road signs on UK streets. The report goes on to highlight those who have been involved in an accident because of road signs and revealed that 81% had to spend up to £600 on repairs.

The Department of Justice themselves released a report highlighting how they are removing 9,000 unnecessary signs from the road but it’s obvious that work still needs to be done.